Mother Chaos
by Takahiro Fuwaka
Summary: Hark! How wonderful life is. The people who brighten it, the nature that frames it and the emotions that justify it. Life is truly right and just, but a mere boy soon finds out the hard way that life is nothing like that. Life isn't good, nor fresh, nor kind! It's simply pitiless, and rightfully so. He thinks, what if I hadn't been alive at all? Would it do me good? Villain!Izuku.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one** \- _Despair._

_(9 years ago, Kindergarten Izuku is aged 6)_

"_Woahhh!"_

All the kids in Izuku's kindergarten class were currently gawking in awe at a blonde, spiky-haired boy, who showed off his new found quirk,

"Explosion!", He said. "I can make explosions from my hands!" His quirk also seemed to be very powerful. Hell, even the teachers were surprised.

"Kacchan, your quirk is so awesome..! I can't wait to get my one soon..!"

These innocent words came from a petite little boy with a forest for hair on his head, Izuku Midoriya .

"Haha, yup. You can wait but your quirk won't be as good as mine, Izuku!" Katsuki Bakugou smugly said while pointing his thumb at himself with his other hand on his hips. The teachers applauded the cheeky boy for his quirk and confidence and so did the rest of his classmates.

Some hours passed and it was soon lunchtime. Usually, Izuku and Bakugou and a few other classmates would sit with each other to eat and laugh together, just like any other kid. But the day Bakugou got his quirk, Izuku was left sitting alone at a table waiting for him without touching any of his food. He didn't touch his food when waiting for Bakugou because he thought he was a special friend to eat with but this time around, Bakugo was allowed to eat in a warm classroom with some other friends that were invited by him. Being the clueless kid that he was, he didn't even consider the fact Bakugo had completely abandoned him like an owner replacing a puppy for a new dog. 45 minutes passed and Izuku began to wonder where Bakugou was so he went upstairs and what he saw completely broke him.

"Kacc-"

Izuku was about to call out to Bakugou gleefully with those pure and sparkling green eyes of his but then he saw Bakugou having an absolute blast without Izuku, not regarding him in the least.

Izuku's expression quickly changed from a happy childs to that of a child who had no longer had a reason to smile. With his shoulders slumped, Izuku went back to the cafeteria to eat his now cold and sloppy food. As he was about to sit on a chair to eat, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch and the beginning of a lesson. Izuku sat for a few minutes looking at the cold food in disgust and sadness until he was tapped on the shoulder by a teacher telling him to go to his designated classroom. Izuku nodded and miserably walked away with his eyes to the ground.

Later that same day, Inko Midoriya and Hisashi Midoriya decided to go to the clinic and check up on what Izuku's quirk was. When they arrived at the clinic, Izuku was overjoyed and beaming with excitement to know what his quirk would be as his mom, Inko, could move small objects with her hands and his dad, Hisashi, could breathe fire. Would izuku be able to control flames? Would he be able to make fire with his hands? Would he be able to make flames appear anywhere he liked with mind control? There were so many possibilities swirling in Izuku's head.

"_I guess starting tomorrow when I get my quirk, Kacchan will be my friend again and we can eat together all the time!" _Izuku thought. He was so happy that he even hummed a little of his happy ideas, happy dreams and happy songs were brought to a halt.

The doctor took his spectacles off sorrowfully and didn't make eye contact with Inko and Hisashi. Izuku's parents frowned at this in confusion.

"Sorry, but your son is quirkless."

As though Izuku was buffering in real life, his legs stopped mid-swing and his joyous smile froze. His expression only spiralled into despair. Inko and Hisashi could only nod and walk out to the door to walk home because the house and the clinic were 5 minutes away.

The minute they walked into the house, Izuku ran up to his room while his mom ran after him. She was calling his name in sympathy and when they got to his room, he bawled his eyes out. So much so, that his throat began to dry out and sting while his eyes were red. He then wheezed for air with trembling lips while being held in his mother's arms, like an injured deer. During this ordeal, Hisashi only watching from the door frame with his arms crossed in sadness for his son. Inko noticed her husband at the door and beckoned him to come as well. The three then formed a warm hug and once Izuku had calmed down, he then said, "Mom, Dad, I-I just wanted to be a hero and eat with Kacchan..Is that s-selfish?"

The parents looked at each other with slight shock.

"No, no sweetie that's perfectly normal and kind of you. Just know that we love you with or without a quirk, okay?"

Izuku got up lazily and gave a watery smile and wiped his tears away.

"Goodnight mom and dad", he said softly as he went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2:

**Chapter two - **_What is the true worth of a human?_

Izuku was now in Middle school and gained the infamous name 'Deku'. They called him this because it meant 'good for nothing', 'worthless', 'a waste of space' and so on. When Izuku first found out that he lacked a quirk, he was naive enough to tell and trust Bakugou that he was quirkless. He was expecting the reaction to be the same or similar to the reaction his parents gave him, which was wholehearted and fully-accepting. When Bakugou learned of his quirklessness, his attitude became sour, aggressive, harsh and completely insolent towards Izuku. Izuku would be beaten, robbed, shunned and burned by Bakugou and his lackeys, everyday. A normal person would be furious with the way they were treated and fight back or tell the teachers or something at least on those lines. But then again, being quirkless wasn't seen as normal. Izuku ,however, still admired and looked up to Bakugou like he was a God because of the way they both loved All Might and interacted with each other often. Well, that was even if you could consider this a healthy kind of interaction anyway. Just because Izuku admired Bakugou didn't mean they liked each other.

At the end of a lesson, Izuku quickly packed away his books to avoid Bakugou and his gang but then smiled at a notebook labelled _'Hero Analysis N.13'. _He briefly smiled at the book and when he was about to put it away, he heard small explosions getting closer and closer to Izuku.

"Deku!" shouted a hoarse voice. Midoriya quickly recognised this voice belonged to Bakugou and as a result of the classroom being empty, his voice was louder than usual.

"K-Kacchan.."

"_Ooh Kacchan!" _Mocked the lackeys, but a glare from Bakugou quickly shut them up.

"Deku, what's that *** in your hand, huh? Porn mags?" questioned Bakugou, snatching the book out of Izuku's hands.

Izuku had a face mixed with Anger, shock and despair when Bakugou snatched it out. His hand moved on its own as he attempted to grab the book back with slight hesitation. Bakugou and his lackeys looked pissed off when Izuku tried to take it back.

"Deku, you weak ***. Who do you think you are?!" Bakugou had a murderous aura surrounding him. His eyes were a blood red as he snarled down at Izuku, who looked like a little cat next to an evil lion about the kill anything small near it. Bakugou then got an explosion in his hands and put his hands directly onto Izuku's face, which burned his forehead and cheeks to a nasty black color. Bakugou went to burn Izuku's Analysis book for the future to nothing but ash while his lackeys went to beat Izuku to nothing but a pulp of blue and purple. Once the lackeys were satisfied with what they did to Izuku they went back behind Bakugou and chuckled to themselves, proud of the evil they did.

"*** Deku, you will never be a hero, you're quirkless and useless." spat Bakugou.

Before Bakugou walked out of the room, he had his back to Izuku, who was now unconscious, and said,

"If you get in my way again, I'll ***ing kill you."

His lackeys snickered behind him and walked out of the classroom, tailing Bakugou.

Three hours later, Izuku woke up in the same position in the classroom he was beat up in and when he woke up, he had a painful headache along with a flood of emotions and suddenly remembered what happened to him. He touched his face and felt many bumps and bruises due to swelling and burns and he just silently cried to himself in the corner of the empty room.

"_Why am I even alive anymore?"_

"_Please let my pain end..please" _and with that thought he got into a small ball and the tears just wouldn't stop flowing.

"_Maybe if I'd been born in a different month, year, place or maybe been born to different parents. Maybe even a different hospital..maybe just maybe I would've gotten a quirk, I would be able to stand up for myself." _

He was in such a sad state at that moment in time and was in such an emotional mess that he didn't even notice the time. It was 4:00. He guessed that his parents would've been worried sick because their son was taking so long and didn't even bother to call them. He shook his head and wiped his tears away.

"No, I am alive right now thanks to mom and dad. I should be thankful and not selfish." he mumbled to himself. He had a slightly determined look on his face despite the fact that he looked like a grape. He got up from his little corner and stretched his arms and legs.

As he was walking outside, it had already gotten dark and the stars looked like small, sharp diamonds piercing the hazy and mysterious wine colored sky. The moon was bright and green with envy while looking down on the small, ignorant humans of the Earth. Izuku stopped in the middle of the path to look up at the sky. He gave a simple, soft smile at the unrivalled beauty of the night sky. He then kept walking home and remembered how his parents would probably form a search party looking for him.

"*** I have to get home quickly." he said to himself as he ran.

Izuku finally arrived at the front door of the house and began to look for an excuse to make up for the scars on his face and uniform.

"_I fell down the stairs? No… I was robbed? No… I messed up a science experiment? Of course not, everyone knows that I am exceptional at science and maths. S-Should I just come clean on the bullying..? No!" _Izuku realised he took ten minutes longer because of his contemplating to actuallygethome_. _He then didn't care anymore and went straight inside despite what his parents would think.

"I-I'm home.." said Izuku he quickly ran upstairs. His parents were even quicker and they noticed his face and were in utter shock.

Inko burst into tears and covered her mouth in disbelief.

"I-Izuku? Baby, what's wrong..? Come..back.." The last to words were choked out and were not clearly heard because he had already gone upstairs and she had dropped to her knees and cried for 20 minutes straight with sniffles in between. She thought she was a failure as a mom. Hisashi quickly went to hug Inko and comfort her saying that Izuku will come back soon and talk to them, which he never did.

While Inko was crying in Hisashi's shoulders, he looked up and thought to himself with a melancholic expression on his face,

_"Izuku, when are you going to come to us? We are here for you, god***it." _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three - **_Absence of Fruitfulness_

After yesterday's emotional breakdown, Inko decided that she wouldn't let Izuku go to school the next day, which of course, Izuku protested against. He kept trying to reassure his mother that everything was fine and nobody meant any harm. Izuku was trying to normalise the abuse he received at school to his parents by sugar-coating it with words like 'accident' and 'playing' but his efforts only gave off the opposite effect.

"I-Izuku, sweetie, we only want what is best for you in the world..you know that, right? And once in a while, everybody needs a day off to reflect and contemplate whatever they need to reflect upon. You know, like, just clear their mind? It's healthy and it will help you," said Inko with a sweet smile. Hisashi nodded with his arm around his wife's shoulders. Izuku was hearing this first thing in the morning after all that happened yesterday so his mind was still a little muddled. Izuku loved his parents more than anything and anyone in the world, so he would listen to whatever they had to say and take it to heart.

"Okay, Mom," he sighed. "Anything for you."

Hisashi shook his head in false nervousness and jealousy at the affection shown between the two. "Geez, guys I'm here too.."

"O-Oh yeah, sorry. Good Morning Dad!" Chuckled Izuku, while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Hmph, whatever, whatever," Hisashi said pettily like a child. "It's not like I care or anyth-"

Hisashi was cut off mid-sentence because Izuku went to give him a warm hug. Inko joined in on the hug and the three didn't want the hug to end. It reminded them of the hug they gave each when they were told that Izuku was quirkless. After the long hug, everyone went to their own specific tasks. Inko went to make breakfast for Izuku and herself while Hisashi went out to work with nothing but toast in his mouth and a glass of water.

"Thanks for the food!" sang Inko and Izuku in harmony as they tucked into their breakfast. They were eating omelette and white rice and soup along with a glass of milk or water.

"Mom, this is so good! Your cooking is always the best!"

"I made it like this just for you, my sweet." She was absolutely elated that her son was happy. She, like Izuku, loved nothing more than her family. She took a little longer to eat but when they both finished, she went to do the dishes.

"Izuku, you can go upstairs for 45 minutes then come back downstairs. I need to speak with you." she sounded quite stern this time when she spoke. Izuku took note of this and gave his mom the 'okay'.

When Izuku went up to his room, a whole new aura was surrounding him. The aura of pure happiness almost immediately left his body when he stepped into his room where nobody could see him. He instantly felt like a 50 ton metal block was put on him and he collapsed onto his bed. When this happened, a flood of emotion overcame him as he then remembered what would happen to him if he skipped school without Bakugou and the lackeys knowing.

"_They probably think that I snitched on them or something, they will give me a new set of bruises tomorrow.." _Izuku shivered in fear of the thought that he would come back home worse than the day before. His parents would contact the school and then his parents might receive a bad name, just like Izuku did! Him and his parents would be called _'The Family of Deku' _or _'Baby parents and their Deku'_. Izuku started to cry in horror at his own thoughts. He never _ever _wanted to cause his parents trouble, though he could be a little cheeky sometimes. He was then overcome with the feeling of…. Emptiness. The simplicity of Emptiness. He thought about what he had to look forward to. He came back home with scars and bruises and swellings, lied to his parents about them, he was alone with no friends and had absolutely nothing to look forward to. Actually, scratch that, he had his birthday..? Izuku nonchalantly laughed at that thought. He tried to be optimistic about his dream birthday sometimes but dreams are dreams for a reason, and such should be left as dreams and not reality. He shook his head in despair. Each day this _'reality' _was chipping away at his sanity. He then, with no emotion whatsoever, got up to get a book then laid on his bed facing upwards and put the open book on his face and stared at nothing.

"God help us all.." he whispered, trailing off into a dream.

_(Izuku's dream)_

"_Huh? where am I-" _his thoughts were cut short when he was met with the excruciating pain of not being able to breathe and all he could see was pitch black. The more he struggled and tried to gasp for air, the more it hurt. He tried to speak, cry and breathe. Nothing happened. He could only "see" pitch black yet..he was still conscious. He heard footsteps getting closer to him and then felt his head being forced into a bucket or container of some sort filled with cold water. Izuku touched the water and then touched his face. He was in a state of absolute petrification. He touched his face only to find out that he had no facial features. No eyes, nose, lips or protruding cheeks and forehead like a normal human. When his head was taken out of the water, he could breathe again but only to find that seconds later, he was in a car.

"_This car.." _he thought. _"I've been in this car before..! Oh, it's mom and dad's car!" _He got his facial features back but he didn't know that . Izuku observed his surroundings and saw that he was on a road of some sort with many other busy, large vehicles there. There were green-leaved trees and an assortment of different houses away from the road.

"_It looks just like where we live..Oh and there's Bakugou's..house..!"_

It looked like an ordinary day to Izuku. His mom was in the passenger seat and His dad was driving. The happiness was short-lived when Izuku said,

"Ohh, dad, dad!" yelled Izuku. "There's a cute squirrel! Can we get it.."

"Hmm?" Hisashi asked as he turned to face Izuku. At that exact moment, a huge lorry was driving by to turn but Izuku's car was in the way. Izuku's face was the incarnation of the phrase _'absolute horror'. _His pupils were nothing but two green dots in the middle of a milky white abyss. His mouth was slightly agape and showed his uvula hanging in his mouth. His skin turned a ghostly pale color on his whole body. It was at this moment that Izuku quickly realised that his foolishness would be the death of his parents.

"Da-"

Nothing more could be heard. The lorry collided with the car and Izuku's parents were the ones who were critically hit. Hisashi instantly died while holding Inko in his hands to protect her from the crash. Izuku 'luckily' only got hit with a few cuts and bruises, nothing more and nothing less was done to him. There was no ambulance or hero even five minutes after the disastrous ordeal.

"Nonononononononononono Idontwantthis make it stop, MAKE IT STOP...please.." Izuku screamed in utter despair while violently clutching at his hair. His eyes were like a faucet and his tears kept flowing and flowing. It wouldn't stop. But then…

"..zuku. Izuku..Izuku!" he heard his name being called in the distance somewhere. He lazily opened his eyes from the nightmare he had.

"_What the hell was that dream about.." _he thought in sadness and confusion. He saw his mom staring at Izuku in shock and distress. He was drenched in cold sweat and tears were leaking from his eyes in small droplets.

"Izuku I have been calling you for 10 minutes..what happened?" Inko observed her sons body and his face was red and puffy.

"Baby, what happened..?" she looked at Izuku in desperation for an answer of some sort. Something. Anything. She wanted to know.

"_Shit." he thought._

"Sorry for worrying you mom, I was dreaming of a horror rollercoaster with scary twists and turns and I cried like a wimp even though I'm in middle school.." he gave a watery smile. His lie was pretty believable because his mom knew how he could get when it came to rides.

She had a feeling there was more to the story but decided to trust her son and not press any further.

"Okay, sweetie," she consoled. "I'll make some early dinner for you, okay?" She landed a kiss on his forehead and left the room.

A tear escaped his eye. He needed a saviour of some sort. It was as though Izuku was cut off from the world and had nobody to talk to.

"All Might..what would you do right now.." his words trailed off into yet another sleep but this time it was more peaceful than the other one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four - **_Loss of Hope comes in Stages_

Izuku woke up earlier than usual. Maybe it was because he wanted to check on both of his parents well being? Maybe he was maturing? Maybe he was contemplating whether or not to act sick? He was never in a state of confusion and doubt like he was at that moment. He shooed away these insignificant thoughts to meet his mom the living room for breakfast.

Inko heard slow, dragged but light footed steps descending from upstairs and looked to the door to see who it was. She saw green curly hair and stopped what she was doing to hug Izuku and repeatedly kiss his head.

"Good Morning, Izuku! I made pancakes today!" she exclaimed. She knew it was going to make him happy after yesterday.

"Mornin'." Izuku briefly kissed his mom back and then scratched his head before sitting on the chair waiting to eat. Izuku of course still looked and sounded like his usual happy-go-lucky self but there was something off about his attitude. Something..empty and emotionless about him. Inko shook her head but took notice of this change, but it seemed as though Izuku noticed as well that Inko was looking at him so he quickly put on a false smile.

"Izu-"

"Woah, pancakes! Mom, it's been a while since I had your pancakes!" said Izuku sharply with gleaming eyes. All of Inko's doubts were erased when she saw her little boy look the way he always had. Little did she know, Izuku put on a fake act just so he wouldn't worry his parents. He was quite the liar. Nevertheless, She gave a warm smile and said,

"Yes, my love. How did you know? I didn't even show you."

"My nose catches the slightest of smells, mom. Even dad knows that! Speaking of him, where is he?" Izuku quiered.

"He left when I started making the pancakes. I told him to stay and eat but he refused! He might get sick later on. He doesn't….And I ...You…" Izuku was only listening to sections of her talking as he was thinking about the beating he would receive at school.

"..zuku..Izuku!" Inko shouted and waved her hand in his face.

"Uh..mom?" he shook his head and blinked in confusion.

"Izuku, you spaced out again! It's a bad habit that you need to stop!" she complained. "Sheesh when did this even be..gin.." As she said that, she remembered the first time he did this was during that horrid 'rollercoaster' dream.

"_I'm sure he doesn't want to remember that dream..he looked horrible after he had it." _she thought.

After that thought, Izuku told his mom he had to go so she packed him his breakfast to have for lunch and she said it would be filling. He waved goodbye and left the house.

While he was walking to school he saw Bakugou and his lackeys in front of him and decided to hide. It was as if Bakugou could read minds because he looked behind him to see if anyone was there.

"Hey Bakugou, what's wrong?" asked one of the lackeys.

"Nothing, bastard." The lackey nodded in response and kept walking.

Izuku arrived at school first and got his books out and sat while finishing off some notes on his favourite hero All Might. He began to mumble and write at the same time.

"All Might, Pro Hero. His quirk is a Power enhancer that strengthens all parts of the body but the power is probably dominant in his arms. This is because he has a variation of techniques and styles using his arms to punch and hit with omnipotence." he mumbled. "While his power is unrivalled and unquestionable, his weakness is how long he can fight for which is evident in his recent fights.."

Izuku heard an all-too-familiar sound of explosions. Izuku, despite not being religious made the sign of the cross.

"Oi, damn Deku!" shouted Bakugou. "Where the fuck were you yesterday, huh?"

"K-Kacchan, I was s-sick and had to stay at home yesterday. I promise I didn't snitch..I promise!" said Izuku, who was clearly frightened and quite embarrassed due to the stream of students now coming tinto class and staring at him.

"_He is so pathetic"_

"_Can't he even stand up for himself?"_

"_I'm getting second hand embarrassment from this, ugh."_

"_What an eyesore.."_

Izuku could feel the eyes on him and how pathetic he looked but he couldn't do anything about it.

He just wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for the rest of his life.

"Deku, I don't give a shit whether or not you were sick or whatever the hell you did. You didn't even tell us you would be sick!" said Bakugou with a snarl.

"What? Are you dumb or something? Do you think I can suddenly predict the future?" said Izuku, suddenly unfazed. The nanosecond he said that everyone in the class fell silent in shock. Bakugou and his gang were in disbelief and with rage. Even Izuku himself was in a state of bewilderment, he had wide eyes and put his hand over his mouth.

"_Why do bad things happen to me when I speak.." _he thought, remembering what happened in his recent nightmare.

"What. The . Fuck. Did. You. Say?!" roared Bakugou. Had this not been in a classroom, one would have thought he was a furious lion merged with a thug. Bakugou's eyes were filled with complete and pure bloodlust and he outstretched his arm to Izuku face. Like a saviour, the bell rang and the teacher walked i at that exact moment and told Bakugou to take a seat so that the lesson could begin.

"_Maybe I could get off scot free!" _Izuku thought, optimistically.

That, of course, was too good to be true as one of his lackeys discreetly slid Izuku a paper that read: _Come to the storage room at lunch. If you're late or don't show up, you'll go home with more than a bloody face. _Izuku hesitantly put the paper in his pocket and nodded. The lesson progressed as normal.

Though Izuku hoped it wouldn't, lunch time came quicker than usual. He was still in shock at how he answered back at Bakugou, and he said it in such a stoic manner, too! Izuku was scared for his life.

"_I've really done it now", _he thought. He got to the storage closet and the lights were off. It scared Izuku a little but he still went in. When he came in, he was instantly met with a blow to the nose. Instantly, his nose bled and was now numb. Izuku felt tears down his face and winced in pain.

"Already crying like a girl, Deku? Don't fucking move because the fun is just beginning..!" Even though it was pitch black, he knew it was Bakugou's voice.

"_For them to assault me in pitch black like this, it must mean one of the lackeys has a night vision quirk or heat sensory quirk of some sor-"_

His thoughts were cut short as he felt his torso being covered in a warm, sticky metallic smelling liquid. It was blood and he felt it everywhere. He whimpered in pain and distraught. Izuku told himself to not analyse quirks at dangerous times like this as it could get him killed one day. The beatings lasted 20 more minutes till Izuku's felt deep cuts in his arm, torso cheek, forehead, thigh, shins, ankle, back and neck. The affliction and torment he was put through today was like no other pain he had felt and Izuku wailed and cried and weeped and sobbed until he lost his voice.

"_I-I just want to die..I want this to end.." _he thought._ "No, I can't. It would be selfish of me to do so as mom and dad would be really sad if I left them like that." _After minutes of getting slightly used to the pain, Izuku got up and wore a black baseball cap to cover his face. He was so embarrassed and felt violated. He continued the rest of his lessons as usual with little insults here and there but it didn't matter to Izuku. He felt as if all true emotion had been knocked out of him. Like he was just a useless vessel.

The school day ended and Izuku walked back home with his eyes to the ground and thought that his day couldn't get any worse. He was, of course, proven terribly wrong as when he went home under the bridge, there was a slimy mound of guck on the floor. He was takne by surprise when the guck spoke, and it had eyes too! He recognised it to be the Sludge Villain. Izuku was paralysed in shock.

"Hm. This vessel doesn't look very good and it looks very skinny" judged the villain. "Doesn't matter, I can't be picky nowadays.." and with that the liquid villain went into Izuku's body through all the superficial holes in his body lie his nostrils, ears and mouth. Izuku, by human instinct, tried to scrape through the villain and live.

"Haha, nice try but I'm liquid!"

"_..can't breathe.." _thought Izuku in pain. _"Is this..how I end..?" _Izuku closed is eyes and patiently waited for death to consume him until…

"HAVE NO FEAR, FOR I AM HERE!" said a commanding, booming but heroic voice. Both the sludge villain and Izuku were in shock. All Might then punched the villain with his legendary _'Texas Smash' _which separates the sludge villain fro Izuku due to the almighty shockwave given off from the punch. The villain is then encapsulated in a simple bottle and put into All Might's pocket.

"Haha, sorry for getting you involved kid-"

Izuku was not only gasping for air because of his lack of oxygen, but because All might, his idol, was standing right infront of him.

"All Might I-"

"Sorry kid, I gotta run. I'm currently on the job." All Might said this but then jumped with full force to cover more ground. Izuku's body moved on its own and then jumped onto All Mights leg. The air pressure and speed was enough to kill Izuku but it didn't, somehow, and it took a while for All Might to notice something tugging at him in the air.

"AUH..IGH, AUH IGH!" All Might saw the small boy he saved hanging to him like a lifeline, which he was at the moment in time.

"Kid?! Let go! It's dangerous!"

"I..CAN'T, I'LL..DIE!"

All Might nodded and decided to land on a building's roof, it looked like a school roof. Izuku stood up with his knees buckling and him having to catch his breath.

"So?", asked All Might. "What did you want to ask? Make it quick, 'kay?"

Izuku disregarded the slight abruptness of his idol and asked,

"Can I be a hero even if I'm quirkless?" Izuku innocently smiled.

While All Might was taken aback by this question, he answered in a solemn and stern tone.

"Sorry, but no. You can't. The world is way too dangerous for even people with quirks to survive. How do you expect a quirkless person to?" All Might continued, "Maybe you can become a police officer or something because that still helps people even if it isn't the most glamorous job in the world. Sorry kid, I really gotta go." And with that, All Might jumped into the sky, leaving an empty, passionate, sobbing, angry Izuku.

"How could you.." Izuku said with a blank emotionless stare at nothing. "How could you..How dare you..You aren't supposed to say that..You're supposed to give me hope. Is that such a bad thing? Am so selfish that I can't have anything in this world..? Tell me, All Might. TELL ME..!" Izuku broke down into a messy, painful cry. After letting out his emotions, he was now absolutely passionless, broken and stoic. He made his way home afterwards.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five - **_Lonely, Empty Vessel_

Today was the day of opportunities! The day that middle schoolers were going to take a step further into the real world! _A bright colorful world of-! _

"Bullshit." said Izuku plainly. He was currently 'oversleeping'. Well, he wasn't actually sleeping. More like he was staring at nothing, spacing out or something useless like that. Izuku really did not care about his life anymore, but it wasn't yet to the extent that he was suicidal. No no no. That would be a waste of energy and could take a toll on the mental stability of his parents. He didn't want that to happen. He was just in a state of absolute impassiveness. He became quite a cold person who doesn't care for anyone but his parents. However, that didn't mean he didn't shed a tear or two at school. He still didn't retaliate when being bullied.

"Izuku! Wake up! You're never in bed this long..come on!" shouted Inko. She was currently hitting a metal pan with a spoon whilst walking up the stairs. This didn't affect Izuku as he was already awake but the noise did irritate him so he went downstairs, not even looking at is mother.

"Good Morning, mom."

Inko just kept turning her head back to look at how Izuku's personality was changing day by day.

"_I pray this is just one of his phases. Well, it isn't like he has had any phases..B-But still! He looks so..miserable and empty..?"_ thought Inko. In the midst of her monologue, Hisashi got up and stretched like an old man. It seemed as though he was woken up by the pan that Inko was bashing. Inko looked a little bit sad herself because of the way her son looked but still had her bright but dark green eyes and rosy, plump cheeks. Hisashi and Inko had been together for over 10 years so they could tell when one of them were acting up a certain way. Hisashi quickly noticed her sad face.

"Inko, darling, what's wrong? Is it Izuku?" he said in a concerning tone. Inko just nodded in response.

"I understand though. I have been seeing changes in his mood lately. Maybe he is maturing..?" said Hisashi. What he was saying was true, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't catch on to how Izuku was acting.

"I don't know what kind of maturing is going on nowadays, maybe we are just getting old, but I don't like how it is affecting Izuku. I-I just want our baby to be happy. He needs happiness!" Inko burst into quiet tears and cried into Hisashi's chest and Hisashi just hugged her back and let her cry for as long as she needed.

"Don't worry, Inko. I promise you that one day Izuku will definitely find a raison d'être.."

Fate, however, had other plans in store.

Izuku was getting ready to leave the house, he only went downstairs to watch TV.

"Good Morning and welcome to the Early Days News Channel." said the TV presenter. "Today, we are watching a recording of All Might capturing a villain that escaped from a bottle yesterday! He is infamously known as the _'Sludge Villain' _and All Might captured him! This villain was known to rob people of their money but All MIght put an end to this quickly, efficiently and happily all the for the good of the people!"

"_The good of the people.." _thought Izuku. What All Might said to him the day before was replaying itself in his head like a broken record. It hurt him. It really, really hurt.

Izuku then got up to go. He wasn't hungry. Not to mention, if he would get kicked in the gut and stomach, what was the point of eating in the first place? He wasn't in the mood to speak with anyone so he left a note on the countertop that read: _Wasn't hungry, I'll get food at school. - Love you. _And with that, he left to go to school.

After walking the long route, Izuku got to school 15 minutes late. With any other student, his teacher would've let them off the hook but Izuku being quirkless meant the teachers saw no value in him so they could do as they wished. Izuku walked into the classroom with his head held low and all the eyes of the classroom were glaring at him. He felt them looking, but didn't care. Before all his additional emotional distress, Izuku would've bawled his eyes out at the fact that people were whispering about him and whatnot, but the present Izuku just sat at his chair and nonchalantly got out his writing equipment. The teacher looked at Izuku with a hateful glare. Bakugou snickered.

"_How audacious! The nerve of some people, especially him! Izuku Midoriya, he is useless and pathetic but he thinks he can waltz in here with no apology for being 15 minutes late?!" _thought the teacher with spite.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku said nothing but looked up at the teacher with an empty look.

"Midoriya, punishment for being late is lunch duty! You will clean the classrooms and mop the desks and tables spotless. If there is any time left for you to spare, you must write an apology letter to me. You can eat if there's time left. That is all."

Izuku nodded in response with a blank expression.

"_Is that even legal? Whatever. I do not care anymore.." _thought Izuku.

"Now class!" said the teacher with a completely new attitude. "Today you will be given forms for the high school you would like to attend after you leave Middle school." the teacher handed out the papers to the beginning of each row to pass on backwards to the person behind.

"I'm giving you these papers but I already know that you all want to be heroes, right?" shouted the teacher in glee. The whole class showed off their own unique quirks and had a happy expression.

"_The expression of happiness is probably the one emotion I will never feel," _thought Izuku._ "I wonder what it's like to be on Cloud 9.."_

"Oi, Sensei." said Bakugou with a smirk. He slammed his legs on the table in front of him in a lying position. "Don't lump me in with these extras. I'm going to U.A!"

"U.A.." said Izuku, quieter than a mouse. He gave a little, soft smile to himself at the thought of going to the number one hero school in Japan.

All the students in Bakugou's class gave their own reactions to what Bakugou said.

"U.A?" said one girl. "Don't you know how low the acceptance rate there is?"

"I know…" Izuku said to himself in a whisper, as if the girl was talking to him.

"U.A only wants the best of the best, ya' know." said a taller boy.

"I know.." Izuku replied to himself, slightly louder.

"I know that you're crazy powerful and all, but don't you think it's a little far fetched?" said a boy with green hair.

"I know but still!" Izuku suddenly said aloud. That earned him a few judgemental stares and insults.

"Huh? What was that, shit Deku?" growled Bakugou, making explosions in his hand. Izuku quickly got quiet again and kept his thoughts to himself.

"Oh, yes, speaking of De- Izuku, didn't you want to go to U.A as well?" asked the teacher.

The whole class went silent for a few seconds before bursting into a raging laughter. They laughed and held their stomachs and repeatedly slammed their hands on the desks and heaved in for oxygen… It was like someone told the best joke of the year! Even the teacher had to turn around for a bit before turning back to face the class.

"N-Now now, quieten down."

The noise level only decreased a little but was still loud.

"Deku, you bastard stay outta my fucking way!" spat Bakugou.

The class then snickered and thought stuff like,

"_Deku is probably gonna be like 'y-yes Kacchan!' What is that, a fetish?"_

"_He is gonna cry or something. What a baby.."_

"_We could have gotten some work done, had it not been for Izuku's dumb joke about going to U.A.."_

Everyone in the class were all underestimating Izuku and thinking lowly of him but to their surprise, Izuku did none of that!

"Hm? Or what? You'll give me a new set of scars, Katsuki?" Izuku replied plainly with a cold and unfazed look in his eyes.

The last time Izuku spoke back, he was nearly about to die and he was scared for his life, but Izuku didn't have any emotion to give anymore, he was just an empty vessel and didn't care anymore. He did not care about anybody in the class. Not even himself.

Izuku got expressions from all over the class, even the teacher. It was more shocking than before. You could hear a pin drop.

"What the fu.." said a wide-eyed lackey.

"Izuku!" shouted the teacher. "I will NOT condone such barbaric behaviour from you! Don't you know not to falsely accuse somebody! No matter, I will just call the principal to send you home and tell him the situation. Your parents will be told about this as well." The teacher pointed to the door and Izuku walked out of the class to wait for his parents.

"_I knew it. Bad things constantly happen whenever I speak. It's either to me or to the people I love. Maybe later on in life I should just refrain from speech." thought Izuku seriously._

Katsuki was absolutely furious.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six -** _Surprise is the Jester of Life_

Izuku walked outside the school, only to be met with two fuming parents screaming at him. The fact that Hisashi could breathe fire made it all the more scarier. Izuku didn't like it when his parents were angry. Sure, his dad was scary but a woman's rage is not to be trifled with.

"Izuku! What the fuck were you thinking? Accusing someone of bullying and physical abuse?!" screamed Inko. Her once pure, green eyes had a glint of red in them. Izuku remained stoic.

"And Katsuki of all people? Izuku, aren't you two friends? That is messed up. If there was ever a problem going on you should have told us!" shouted Hisashi. Izuku also did not like being yelled at. It didn't make him sad, it made him angry. But, due to the bad stuff that occured when he spoke, he bit his tongue to avoid damage in the long run.

"Izuku, get in the car. I can't believe this shit.." said Inko, she stormed off into the car and Izuku was behind her, not saying a word and shutting the door.

"_I really cannot believe didn't even ask for MY side of the story?" _thought Izuku. A frustrated sigh subconsciously escaped his lips. Inko scoffed in disbelief at her son's act of rudeness.

As they drove off, Izuku saw a man with what looked like Black flames or mist of some sort behind the bushes of the school.

"Strange." said Izuku out loud while furrowing his brows.

"Izuku! Don't get distracted while we are in the car! I'm talking to you got damnit!" said Inko. "We have been watching you these past weeks and noticed a huge change of heart in you. Your eyes looks mundane and your gaze is empty. Your hair is growing past your shoulders and along with that pale skin of yours, you look almost like a girl! Your mannerisms are all over the place!"

"You are growing up, I get that. But can you tone it down a bit? You're making us look like bad parents with that rotten attitude." Hisashi butt in. He was angry but his voice was calm. Izuku could tell when his father water angry as he was speeding up more and more in the car.

"_What's this feeling of deja vu all of a sudden?" _thought Izuku as they speedily drove down the road.

"Why do you never listen to us? I gave birth to you, Izuku! I've been trying to be a good mother to you and at first it looked like I was doing a good fucking job until you decided to start throwing accusations around like you're playing baseball, damnnit.." Inko teared up a bit.

Izuku lost his patience.

"Can.. you SHUT UP!" Izuku shouted. "YOU TWO DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER LISTENING TO MY SIDE OF THE STORY! YOU TWO DIDN'T HELP ME WITH MY MOOD SWINGS AND THE WAY I WAS ACTING DID YOU? BUT YOU JUST KEPT THINKING 'OH HE'LL GET OVER IT SOON, HE'S JUST A KID.' CAN'T YOU TWO JUST LOOK AT ME FOR..one fucking..second.."

Izuku was about to cry until he finally found out the source of the deja vu.

"_Woah, wait. This scene….m-my dream..No...No fucking way.." _Izuku felt his facial features leave as he saw that same truck from this dream go round the corner and speed near them. The nightmare was happening in real life. He wheezed as he could barely breathe. He had his eyes but that was just more of a cruel joke. Who wants eyes at a time like this? His skin went a ghostly pale and he looked like he was on the verge of madness as he looked at the horror that was going to unravel. His eyes were beady and his voice cracked.

A lorry made a perfect sharp turn straight into Izuku's car as if it was rehearsed a million times before. There was an ear splitting noise of a thousand knives that entered his ears when the crash happened. However, that pain was nothing but a prick compared to the pain in his chest when he saw his parents being sent to their maker. Hisashi died in the crash protecting Inko, giving her a minute or two before she died.

"No...NO NO NO! Mom..Dad..! I-I-I-I'm s-sorry I won't talk back anymore I won't act like a brat anymore please don't..go.." Izuku's lips were trembling like a leaf as he held his mother's hand to his face.

Inko gave a weak smile and said, "H-honey...We..are so so..sorry we didn't..listen to y-you..forgive us.." blood was leaking from her forehead.

"Mom, don't speak like t-that..! I..I.." Izuku was having a panic attack and couldn't speak properly.

"H-Honey..your birthday is 'round the corner, right?" she said with a fuzzy gaze. "Your father would want you t-to have..this.." she breathed very small breaths and places a black key in Izuku's hand. He could tell she wouldn't make it but hoped against fate.

"M-Mom, what is this?" he tried to keep her conscious with his voice. His breath was warm on her cold, pale hands.

"G-Go to the house and you will see.." her eyes were closing.

"Mom please don't talk, open your eyes, damnit! W-Wait a little longer and the heroes will be here to save the d-day..!" he cried desperately

Inko said her final words, "Izu..ku..heroes failed to save you..I will..never forgive the..m" Her eyes closed and her hand fell off Izuku face. Izuku cursed his luck and whispered incoherent things.

"Ha..ha..you've got to be fucking with me…." he said in despair with an empty, crazed smile. He lost everything. He had nobody and nothing. All he had was chaos, hate, anger, pain and despair in his life. He couldn't even squeeze out tears anymore. He'd seen it all now. He kissed his father and mother as if to say _'good night' _and left the scene when he heard police cars and an ambulance coming. Izuku had a tear-stained face, puffy bloodshot eyes, pale skin, mundane green eyes and long locks of green curly hair.

"Just like a girl's.." he said in a whisper, he repeated what his mother said in the car during the argument. "I hope Kacchan's happy that my life is in tatters."

Before he step foot into the house, he saw a body of Black Mist wearing a suit next to his door. Izuku blinked hard with a bored and tired expression before stepping into the house.

"_I'm seeing things. I must be." he thought. _

Izuku stepped into his parents room.

"Pardon the intrusion." he said in a dull tone. He looked for anything with a lock on it and saw that there was a closet behind a bookcase which was quite cliche but knew that his dad was dramatic and loved cliches. Izuku opened the door with the key and saw a dusty, old but clean black set of clothing. In the closet he saw a black yukata with no decorations, black tabi, black wooden geta and a black samurai sword with sharp and stainless steel long blade. The sword had a sheath and a sheath strap that went on the hip of the yukata. What terrified him the most was the white faceless mask that was next to it all.

"_D-Did Mom and Dad predict their own..and they knew I would…" _he thought in horror_. "There's no way..no w-way.. You can't possible have two quirks per person and under the same roof! Coincidences didn't happen like that..surely.." _He shook his head. It wasn't that he didn't believe it.. It was quite the opposite! He didn't want to believe that there was such a possibility.

Izuku's face turned quite gloomy when he said, "I have no right to think of them or speak of them at all..anytime I speak somebody always gets hurt. I don't get it.." Izuku decided that he wasn't going to wear it just yet, he would save it for a special occasion but he doubted it would happen.

But what Izuku doubted always happened. Fate just hated him like that.

He felt heavy and guilty as he walked across the floor to his room. While he was of course beyond the depths of sadness, he had to be realistic and get rest as there was school tomorrow.

" '_Be realistic', huh. I wonder where i've heard that one before.." _a glimpse of All MIght's comforting smile flashed in his mind. _"No matter. I don't deserve anything good, do I." _

Izuku crept into bed with soreness.

"Maybe if I'm lucky I won't live to wake up.." he smiled to himself in a wry manner and went to a dream.

_(Izuku's dream)_

Izuku saw that he was a on a roof wearing the black outfit, sword and mask his father gave him. It was nighttime, the wind was blowing and he saw that there was a fair amount of chaos going on below. He was confused how he could see through a mask with no eyes, but he dismissed the thoughts and continued his observation.

"_Am I in..Hosu..?" thought Izuku. _

He observed the mess and chaos that was going down below and saw three or more 8-foot-tall distorted looking creatures that were causing mass destruction. For some reason, both _'dream Izuku' _and_ 'real Izuku'_ did not feel scared. It wasn't as though he was at peace with himself but he was calm and self-possessed. He looked behind him and saw a person in a robot looking costume and a man armed to the teeth about to fight then suddenly the robot guy froze. Izuku was exceptional at analysing quirks, heroes and villains alike.

"_Is that..Stain and.." Izuku squinted a bit, "..and..Ingenium?" _he thought the dream was nonsense but still looked around his surroundings. Suddenly, Izuku jumped down from the building with ease and met the floor with no sound whatsoever. In his geta and tabi, he casually walked over to two people. A man with hands all on his body and face with light blue messy hair..and what looked like…

"_That Black Mist...Where on earth have I seen that.." _he then remembered the Mist behind the bushes at school and the MIst that he saw by his door. Izuku was confused at why he was thinking about that Black Mist at a time like this. The guy with hands and the Black Mist looked alot like villains, but Izuku wasn't one to judge appearances. Then, as if naturally, Izuku drew his sword and swiftly jumped into the air to cut off the large creatures head only to see the head grow again.

"_Impossible.." _Izuku said slowly.But the dream only progressed.

_(Unknown location)_

A young man with light blue hair viciously scratched his neck like he was in frustration. At a bar that had no customers, there was also a laptop that was in the corner of the room. It was always open and didn't have anything on the screen.

"Hmm.." said a voice from the laptop. "I can somehow feel a dark aura reeking from somewhere… I have the feeling I've never met such an aura of animosity. This feeling… It almost feels… depressing, crushing..maybe even empty and useless."

The voice laughed a hearty dark laugh.

"Sensei, are you talking about me?" said the man with light blue hair in a giddy tone.

"No, Tomura. You have yet to succumb to a darkness of this extent."

Tomura grunted in displeasure.

"However, this feeling is one I felt before. Of a quirk I somehow wasn't compatible with and it ended up rejecting me."

"What quirk, Sensei?" asked Tomura in curiosity.

"A quirk called _'Make Believe'_." said Sensei. "This quirk only activated when the user is unconscious or asleep. The quirk gives the user a dream or a glance into the future and the user can change what happens in the dream. What happens in this dream will happen in real life."

Tomura was absolutely stunned and in admiration, his mouth agape. "This person can basically control the world."

"Once they have accepting darkness and somehow exercised the quirk, yes they can to an extent. But this quirk user… they don't seem to be in any control of the quirk, almost as though it came to the user by accident. This user doesn't want the quirk."

"Sensei.." said Tomura, with a laughing kind of tone while scratching their neck at a fast, excited pace. "I'm interested in this..very interested."

The grass is greener on the other side.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven - **_Unwanted Desires, Sweet-flavored Bandages_

The Black Mist stayed outside the door of the house to make sure that there wasn't any strange activity that might taint the unfathomable Midoriya Izuku, as he was a valuable recruit for the league. The Black Mist was more than certain that the dark aura he was sensing came from this boy he saw at the school, the car and now the house.

"_Such a stain on this boy's soul is one that can't be cleansed, no matter how much influence is forced upon it. I am sure Master has comprehended his value and his aura. Now I just need to make a motion of contact towards this boy." _thought the Mist. He saw that Mr. and Mrs. Midoriya had been taken away by ambulance 6 hours after their death and there were reporters and locals ready to bombard Izuku for answers to their questions. The Black Mist waited until the boy came out of the house to make his first approach.

Izuku came out of his house with paler skin than the day before and a forest of bicept-length dark green hair. His cheeks were slightly sunken and his eyes no longer had the gleam of hope that it used to as a child. He wore his normal black uniform and the second he stepped out of the house, a mob of reporters, mourners and local neighbors he had never seen before were in front of him with eyes thirsting for answers.

"Kid, tell me, what time did your parents die and why did they drive so recklessly?" shouted an insensitive reporter. Izuku was holding his tongue, he had gotten used to it.

"Mr. Midoriya, I am so sorry for your loss..and at such a young age.." loudly cried a mourner, as they burst into a fit of tears. Izuku just stood there thinking he might be late for school. Such stoic manner shouldn't become a habit for a growing boy of Izuku's age, but he didn't particularly care.

A local with a cigarette hanging off his lips then said while pointing up to the sky, "Boy! You won't be able to live in that house much longer..the guilt will eat you alive and then by your own hands, you might go and meet your parents up in-"

The Black Mist suddenly appeared in front of Izuku and formed a hindrance between the mob and Izuku, who just stood there clutching his bag patiently.

"_Huh? Isn't this that guy who was in my dreams with the guy with the hands? How did he..oh yeah, he was here yesterday.. But still. He is basically stalking me but he seems to be protecting me.." pondered Izuku. _

"Strange.." muttered Izuku. He didn't think that anybody would hear what he said, but it seems as though his words didn't fall on deaf ears.

"Indeed, you are a strange one." the Mist replied in a whisper, as if to answer Izuku.

"Everyone, I bid you good morning. Please refrain from bombarding the young child with questions that might set him in a state of panic or sadness. It's none of my business what has happened, nor do I know what happened," lied the Mist, he was watching the exchange of words firsthand before the parents departed from their son. "But please act with a little more self-composition and sensitivity."

One of the locals weren't having it but neither was Izuku. He just wanted to get to school but he was being held up. He was prepared to leave but was curious to watch the bravado in front of him.

The local demanded, "Oi, who the fuck are yo-"

"Have I made myself absolutely clear?" asked the Black Mist in an intimidating, chilling tone. Almost as if he was daring anybody to retort against him.

The entirety of the mob immediately left the area and went back to where they came from, leaving just the Black Mist and Izuku.

"_Interesting, but I've got school."_

Izuku bowed to the Mist as a thank you and proceeded to walk to school. Before Izuku could even take a step, the Mist said,

"Kurogiri. My name is Kurogiri." said the Mist.

Izuku turned to face Kurogiri but he had already disappeared.

"What the.." Izuku was a little surprised for a view seconds before shrugging it off. "Whatever." He made his way to school.

_(Unknown Location)_

Kurogiri appeared to the bar looking dapper as usual and bowed towards Tomura in respect.

"Good Morning, Mr. Shigaraki."

"Huh.." Tomura turned around to face Kurogiri, he wasn't expecting him to arrive so suddenly. "Oh, Kurogiri. Where did you go?"

"I went to look for recruitments to fill in some positions in the League. I found somebody quite remarkable, if I do say so myself." Kurogiri was still respective as he spoke and saw that the laptop had a red light flashing. Master was listening.

"Recruitments? Remarkable?" Tomura scratched his neck. "Who?"

"Yes, Kurogiri." said Sensei from the laptop. "You have piqued my interests a bit. Do elaborate."

"Of course. The person's name is Midoriya Izuku and I began observing him from his school because I always felt a certain dark aura that I couldn't put my finger on. He is bullied- no, being abused physically at school due him being quirkless. He showed quite a display of passiveness." answered Kurogiri.

"Quirkless? Have you finally lost it, Kurogiri? We can't let deadweight hang here! Sensei he-" Tomura was cut off.

"Tomura, be quiet while Kurogiri is explaining. Listen attentively." said Sensei with enough authority to shut Tomura up.

"As I was saying, he receives abuse for being quirkless at school and he comes back as a mess. His darkness only grew more. His parents died less than a day ago due to unfortunate circumstances and Izuku was naturally distraught with a mix of emotions. After letting them all out, he seemed rather...empty. Like a person who didn't have the will to live anymore." said Kurogiri.

"_Empty..No will to live..Dark aura. This person, could it be.." _thought Sensei.

"...He went into his house for a purpose that is unknown to me but I teleported near the wall and heard a few words like _'predict' _and_ 'dream'. _When he said those words, he sounded quite horrified. He was in a room, but not his one. I'm assuming it was his parents due to the recent deaths of them. Today a few hours ago, I saw a mob that were bombarding the boy and I stopped them and gave Midoriya my name. He didn't seem to speak at all during this incident. Maybe it was self-punishment. That is all I have to report." finished Kurogiri.

"Haha.." laughed Sensei. "This is quite the string of events! It's an undeniable fact that the bearer of _'Make Believe'_ is indeed, Midoriya Izuku! Kurogiri, you have done an outstanding job today. I insist, please rest for a while until you are called."

Tomura held out his mouth like his jaw was loose somewhere.

"_This..this bearer has Sensei hooked! That's fucking unfair!" _childishly thought Tomura. He groaned.

"Understood, Master. Thank you, Master." Kurogiri bowed an exited the bar to go to his room.

"_That boy is thought of so highly by Master." Kurogiri furrowed his brows. "Just who are you, Midoriya?_

Izuku arrived school just in time for the bell. He seriously wasn't in the mood to get cleaning duty. The difference in physical appearance of Izuku was prominent, as he got a few stares from across the class. In a normal situation of the stares, he would be in tears. Izuku right now didn't give a flying fuck about the nosy eyes facing his way. He had a plain and bored expression on his face and rested his jaw on his knuckles with his elbow on the table. Bakugou just looked pissed off as usual. Bakugou didn't seem to harm him during the lessons, meaning only one thing; he would get it hard later on in the day. Izuku just accepted that it was inevitable.

Lunch came slower than Bakugou and his lackeys liked, but it didn't matter when they could yet again pay a visit to their human punching bag. They crept up behind Izuku in a sinister way, practically tackling him to the floor.

"Deku!" said a snarling blonde with a ferocious growl that rivalled that of an animal. He got explosions ready in his hands.

Izuku just sighs in disappointment, but he sheds no tears. Bakugou goes down to pin Izuku on the floor and grabs the whole of his forearms.

Bakugou pauses.

"Huh? Aren't you gonna cry?"

"If you're going to kill me, make is brisk." replied Izuku in a dry, wry manner. He really did not care what Bakugou did anymore. Pain is the one thing that stuck with Izuku. Bakugou noticed a change in Izuku, but he didn't care as it only pushed his buttons more.

"The fuck? You think you're better than me Deku, huh? Don't look down on me you shit!" roared the blonde, his hands were still on Izuku's bare forearms and he let off an explosion on Izuku's entire forearm. It was such an indescribable feeling and his arms were numb for a while afterwards. He then whimpered a bit in pain but not actually crying any tears.

"_Ouch..that is going to leave a scar for sure.." _thought Izuku. _"No matter, I'll take these scars as a momentum of this world. After all, it will be the only time Kacchan will probably touch or see me like this again before I go and meet my parents." _

Izuku smiled.

Bakugou and his lackeys couldn't comprehend what was happening. Izuku no longer responded to the abuse they were giving him and even smiled at the end as if he were saying, _'That all you got?'._ Bakugou wasn't having it and decided one more blast on his arms would do enough damage.

There was smoke in the hallways and through it Izuku saw a silhouette of a tall boy with spiky hair and stomping feet.

"_He's mad." thought Izuku._

Bakugou walked up to Izuku, who was still on the ground, and places his hands on those same forearms and blasted them again. He gave a smaller explosion on his arms but left Izuku unconscious on the floor.

Bakugou's lackeys just stared in disbelief.

"I-Is he dead?" asked a lackey, nervously.

"What? Of course not, I'm no murderer. I'm going to be the number one hero, you shits." shouted Bakugou, he stormed off to the next lesson, leaving Izuku knocked out for 2 hours.

Izuku awoke on the same floor he was burned on and let out an emotional sigh. He looked up to the ceiling and wished he could meet his parents sooner.

Izuku got up reluctantly and was shaky due to the loss of blood. He went straight home, not caring for a second what the consequences would be. He wanted to go home quickly.

Izuku arrived home quite quickly because he didn't want people staring at his arms like they were dog shit. When he got home, he takes his shoes off and went to find the first aid kit.

It was in the kitchen in a green box with a white cross, he opened it and found thin strips of bandages that went around the perimeter of his arms like they were meant to be there. He finished quite quickly and decided he no longer wanted to live in his parents home. The house was eerie and cold without them to warm the place up. He went upstairs and picked up the black outfit his dad gave him, a few shirts and trousers and a pair of sneakers. After that, he decided that even though he wasn't living in the house, he couldn't just dismiss the memories made in there. He also wanted to stop thinking about them, he was going crazy. So, he got the match stick and set the carpet on fire and then the fire spread extremely quickly.

"_I won't be long. Thank you so much." _Izuku gave a 90 degrees bow and left the premises.

He was alone with nowhere to go. Little did he know, he was being watched from afar.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight - **_A broken doll can never be fixed_

After Izuku burned down his house, he walked aimlessly around the place and went anywhere his feet took him. Hours later, he found himself near another assortment of flats, but since he had only 2000 yen, he turned to walk away. It was evening but in the corner of eyes, he saw the same sludge villain that attacked him some weeks ago. He didn't want to think about the pain he went through that day as he met All Might back then. He was then shocked to find that Bakugou was being consumed by the villain and looked like he was in extreme pain. He was alive, but slightly tearing up.

"_Hmm? What's this? Kacchan looks terrified and is about to die. That is, of course, unless someone goes there to save him. It looks as though he can feel his supply of oxygen slowly being stripped from him and his heart rate slowly decreasing, maybe if he calms down and stops panicking, he will live a bit longer. He tries to seem unafraid but I can tell." _thought Izuku. He was a tad surprised to find himself calmy thinking of the different possibilities and scenarios of his 'friend' dying in front of his eyes.

A crowd had surrounded Bakugou and the Villain and people were wondering where the heroes were. Even Izuku, who hated Bakugou, was disgusted to find that heroes were shying away from the scene as they were scared to lose their lives. Izuku thought they were pathetic and should not have the title of _'Hero' _if they can't even save one civilian. Izuku just stared at Bakugou dryly, as if he was getting bored of watching this ordeal, so he just walked away from the scene.

"_That fucker! Looking at me like he was better things to go do. I'll kill him!" _thought Bakugou. Even when at death's door, he never seemed to lose his aggressive attitude. As Izuku was leaving, he felt the breeze slightly pick up.

"_There is only one hero who would be able to change the wind direction with his presence alone..you've got to be shitting me.." _thought Izuku. He really didn't like the way things were progressing.

"Have no fear..FOR I AM HERE!" boomed a strong, kind voice. The mood of despair amongst the crows and heroes quickly dispersed as the Number One hero came to turn the situation around.

"S-Shit! It's always you!" cried the Villain, panic stricken. He left Bakugou's body to escape but he of course, couldn't.

"You have nowhere to go, Villain! DETROIT SMASH!" shouts All Might. In one, swift, mighty punch, the villain is defeated and his parts are collected from the floor. Bakugou escaped the villain's grip and breathed in and out. He was showered with praise from the Pro-Heroes for holding out so long and because of his powerful quirk. Some heroes even offered that he come to their agencies to become a hero. Izuku left the crowd and glared at Bakugou before leaving the scene.

"_Tch. Of course Bakugou will bask in the glory and praise. It's always been like that. Quirk this..quirk that. That's just pitiful." _A few bystanders looked at the scowl on Izuku's face in confusion. They wondered why he wasn't smiling for joy. The air pressure from All Might's punch was so powerful that it changed the weather and it started to rain. If the crowds weren't already raving in happiness, they sure were now.

"You just couldn't help yourself, could you All Might?" said Izuku to himself as he walked away to a less crowded area.

Izuku found himself in an alley by himself and he was very sleepy. His clothes were drenched as well, so he changed into a black shirt and grey joggers. He was slightly more comfortable in his attire and used his bag as a pillow. He then got into a sleeping position and dozed off.

_(Back at Musutafu)_

Death Arms walked Bakugou to his home, as it was still his duty to make sure the victim got home safely. Mitsuki and Masarur thanked the hero for watching over their son. They immediately hugged Bakugou when he got into the house and asked him what happened. He screeched the story out and was again met with another hug from his parents. They were of course proud of their son but were careful to not get him over his head.

Later that evening, Bakugou went up to his room and a sudden burst of anger clouded his mind when he thought about how Izuku glared at him.

"Fucking nerd, who does he think he is? Staring at me like that, I'll put him in his place later." Tomorrow was the U.A Entrance Exams and Bakugou wasn't going to waste his chance at becoming the number one for some shitty Deku. Bakugou trained for two intense hours then did a cool down before going to sleep.

"_I will be the number one hero."_

_(Tezobi's POV, not first person)_

Tezobi is walking down an alley to watch over Izuku, due to Sensei's orders. She does this because she knows the danger she would be in if she disobeyed.

"What's a brat doing in an alley like this? He must have a death wish of some sort.." She shook her head and crossed her arms as she fearlessly walked through the alley way. She then came across Izuku sleeping soundly and innocently on the floor, it didn't suit the scenery around him!

Tezobi was taken aback a bit. "I thought Master said he was a boy..Ohh, it IS a boy now that I look closer.." She observed Izuku like he was some sort of strange science experiment. She messaged Kurogiri that she had found the boy and asked how long she would be watching over him. She didn't sense anybody within the area but she still didn't like the eeriness of the place.

"God damn, when will Kurogiri answer m-" she was cut off as she felt the vibration of her phone, which signalled that she got a message.

"Until he wakes up?!" she exclaimed. "I didn't sign up for a fucking babysitting service. Doesn't he know that people sleep for, like, 10 hours? Jeez.." she wondered what was so special about the brat that he was going to be watched over by the League of Villains. She hated kids with all her being. She glanced at Izuku.

"_He sleeps like the dead. Wait. Is he dead?" _Tezobi panicked._ "I'll get killed if this brat is dead!"_

She checked his pulse and saw he was alive. She hissed _'yes' _under her breath and relaxed. She didn't sleep and kept her eye on the kid and remembered to leave when he awoke.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine - **_White lies, pretty words, malicious temptations_

Izuku woke up and was shocked that he was sleeping on the ground but then he remembered that he had nowhere else to go. Today was a good day for Izuku, though. He was feeling very happy today as today was the day he could meet his parents. He thought to himself and smiled.

Izuku decided that if he was going to leave this world and meet his parents, he would do it in the appropriate attire. Izuku got up and changed his clothing to that of the clothing his father gave him. He wore his black yukata, black geta and tabi, his samurai sword and his mask along with the bandages along his arms. He was elated, tired, depressed and relieved that he would be able to leave. With a fragile smile on his face, he walked along the deserted alleys and paths and went up to the same building that All Might said he wouldn't be a hero on. He got to the edge of the roof and inhaled a deep amount of oxygen before tiredly exhaling it out.

"So all of my life efforts have led up to this magnificent point. I'm on Cloud Nine, and my head feels light. I truly am at absolute peace." A small tear escaped his eyes and his fragile smile was soft as ever. He thought of all the memories and hardships he had faced throughout his life and the bullying he had gone through. He wondered if he'd been living a dream the whole time. What if life was a dream and when you died, you were truly awoken in divine form and were at your happiest? The mere thought of that theory made Izuku chuckle with excitement and he smiled happily with enthusiasm. Had the scene been different, Izuku would have looked like an ordinary boy smiling like he was having the time of his life.

Izuku took off his geta and neatly placed them beside him, as if he was taking off his shoes to enter his house. The breeze was flowing softly and made his hair dance in the wind. Izuku moved closer to the edge of the building.

"Looks like I'm taking your advice, Kacchan. I'm home, Mom, Dad." and with that he gracefully jumped off the building and closed his eyes.

"_The pain I will feel is all but necessary if I truly want to be happy with my parents. A small sacrifice for the greater good."_ thought Izuku. However, his joy and peace were short-lived as a certain warp gate transported Izuku to the bar that contained Tomura Shigaraki, Sensei, Tezobi and Kurogiri.

When he arrived at the bar with an abrupt bump in the spine from the fall, he was met with a series of expressions on four different faces He observed them closely. There was the young man with hands all over his body, who he'd seen from his dream. The man's face couldn't be seen due to the hand covering his face but he grunted in an angry way. Izuku was beyond confused as to why he was real. He then saw Kurogiri, who Izuku was now familiar with as he not only saw him in his dream, but near his middle school and at his house twice. Kurogiri looked quite classy and self-possessed as usual but had an unreadable expression on his misty face. He next saw a girl who looked a few years older than him with such a scowl on her face, it rivalled Bakugou's! Her physical appearance was a complete 180 to her scowl, though. The girl had skin as white and pure as an angel or of milk. Her hair was also white, but it was short and straight but suited her delicately shaped face. Her lips were pale but had a blush of light pink to them and her eyes were also white and had white pupils and iris, but you could still tell they were her iris and not her sclera. She wore black shorts and a black tank top and her nails were naturally black. She had such a slim physique, she looked as though she would snap at any moment. The man in front of them all was the man that terrified him the most. He had no nose, lips or eyes but seemed to have a mouth that grinned in menace and slyness. Luckily, behind his mask, Izuku's facial expression wasn't seen so at the moment, the people in front of him had no idea what he was feeling. Seconds later, after his overwhelming feelings left, he was totally calm again as he had seen two of the people in front of him before. He sat up from the couch.

"_What on Earth...I was in a state of calmness and happiness then suddenly I'm transported to.." _he looks around._ "A fucking bar? What kind of sick joke is this? Can I never be allowed to relieve my stress?" _

"Where am I and why are you two here?" asked Izuku politely but with enough rage in his voice to surprise Tomura. Kurogiri was slightly amused.

"Why, I simply saved you from falling to your death on behalf of my Master, All for One." replied Kurogiri while bowing to the man with no features. That man reminded him of his dream. The dream that ended his parents.

"Oi, you." said the man with the hands. "What the fuck is with the attitude? Do you know where you are and who my Sensei is? Keep your head low, samurai boy." he angrily scratched at his neck, which was starting to bleed.

"No, I'm afraid I do not know. Nor do I care." said Izuku dryly. That earned him a scoff from the girl with white hair.

"Now, now. Settle down." as soon as the man with no features spoke the room was hushed and was flooded with a tense atmosphere. The man simply grinned and Izuku's attitude.

"Izuku Midoriya, do you know why you are here?" said the man.

Izuku only shook his head, he was too scared to speak. How did he know his name? Was he planning to do something to him? Who were these people? Why were they in his dream? A load of questions were running in Izuku's head and he wanted answers.

"My servant brought you here, on my orders. I saw that you were a useful recruit for my League. The League of Villains. Would you like to join?"

Izuku's fear was soon replaced with baffledness.

"Pardon me? Sorry, but I have no intention of joining villains or joining anyone in any matter. I was happy and about to meet my parents but your rudeness stopped me from doing so. You are the reason for my chaotic life.." spat Izuku. He was fuming with rage but didn't raise his voice, he kept a calm demeanor. He was met with a kick from the girl with white hair. The air was knocked out of Izuku's lungs as he knelt of the floor in pain. It was far more intense than Bakugou's abuse. How did all that power come from such a girl?

The girl had her foot on his neck and was ready at any moment to snap it. She glared down on Izuku as he clutched his stomach in pain.

"Tenfold." she said. "My quirk makes my power, attacks, agility and senses ten times sharper and powerful at will. Anymore bullshit from you and you'll become my new punching bag. Shut it, brat."

"_Such power.." _thought Izuku.

"Tezobi! Must I remind you how valuable he is to this organisation? Do not kill him." said the man, with a scary tone. She growled and cursed under her breath and went back to her former position and left Izuku's neck.

Izuku got up and sat back on the seat he was in.

"Midoriya, you said you were going to meet your parents, but they are dead." said Kurogiri, calmy changing the subject. "What were you going to do?"

Izuku had a deadpan expression on his face and remained silent.

"Sensei..why isn't he talking? He doesn't have the right to ignore..." Izuku saw that the man with the hands was angry.

"_How bothersome. I guess I have to speak about it.." _thought Izuku.

The rest is self-explanatory. He explains how he had no quirk, how he was bullied, how he came back with bruises and scars, how his parents died and how he was about to kill himself until he ended up in a bar.

"That's quite the life you had, Midoriya. However, the fact that you're quirkless has no meaning to me as I brought you to me because of your quirk analysing skills." said the man with no face. He then brought out different books and diagrams of Izuku's analysistic activity. "The notes and diagrams you produced are before your time and exceptional. People were foolish to disregard your raw talent. Your work would be able to help us, the League, to defeat the heroes and succeed at a quicker rate. All of this would happen if you joined."

Izuku was shocked to hear that he had been praised. All the other compliments he received were false and were used to insult him. But a stranger with the face of his nightmares was praising him. Izuku didn't want to admit it but he was quite happy.

"I have something to discuss with you later regarding your _'Quirklessness'_, but for now I have a question to ask you. Do you wish to join the League?"

Bakugou was on his way to U.A highschool to seal his fate in becoming the number one hero. He had a menacing and proud grin on his face as he walked into the school for the entrance exam.

"_Hm! This is childsplay, and these fucking extras don't stand a chance." _

He certainly didn't have the mindset or face of a hero.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten - **_Out with the old, in with the new_

Bakugou steps into the auditorium and sits with a bunch of other middle schoolers. While Bakugou would usual scream to the top of his lungs that he is the best and doesn't want to be associated with people inferior to him, he keeps quiet for some time and waits for the practical exam to take place.

Bakugou grins to himself.

"_I'll beat whatever the hell they have set up for me." _he thought.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOOO KIDS! WHO'S READY TO HAVE SOME FUN?!" screamed a slender man with gravity defying hair.

The auditorium was silent as ever and people could even hear cockroaches.

"Hey, who is he?" whispered a girl.

"I think that President Mic is the one speaking.." replied a boy.

"This is President Mic speaking and today is the practical exam, woohoo!" he cried. He was yet again met with another silent crowd. That didn't waver his enthusiasm though.

"The practical exam takes place in a realistic replica city with high rise buildings and different paths. There will be three types of robots that you guys will need to immobilize or destroy to earn points. You are granted one point if the villain you have defeated is easy, two points if it's medium and 3 points if it is hard. Depending on how many points you earn, you could have a higher chance of getting into U.A!" President Mic explained.

There were distant murmurs that were dashed across the crowd of students but Bakugou was just itching to destroy something.

"_I don't care who is here or who they are, if destroying the robots is all we need to do then I'll easily get in. Easy as fucking pie." _thought Bakugou, as he impatiently tapped his foot on the ground.

"President Mic, may I ask a question?" said a boy with glasses and a muscular build.

"What is it, boy?"

"On the sheet provided to us, it states that there are four robots we must defeat but you said there were three. Excuse my rudeness but the prestigious U.A High School should not have made such a daft printing mistake!" said the boy. He steadily poked at the paper which displayed a fourth robot.

"Four-eyes is holding me up, damn." murmured Bakugou, who was reaching his limit of patience.

"Right you are, boy! There is a fourth robot that is worth no points and that's because it is not meant to be fought. It is used to weed out the weak and cause you not to get three pointer robots!" explained President Mic. "But let's end the idle chatter and get STARTEDDDD!"

And with that the doors flung open for them to begin their exam. Bakugou gave off a sadistic smirk and blasted his way through the opening and got on with is.

"It's about fucking time!" he growled as he left to fight.

Other examinees just stood there in confusion.

"What are you waiting for?! GO GO GOOO!" screamed President Mic. After he said that, everyone rushed into the replica city to defeat the robots.

Everywhere you turned, there were people throwing punches, slashing, crushing and immobilizing the robots to earn points. Bakugou was particularly loving the exam.

"Die!" He shouted as he defeated twe three-pointers all at once. The boy with the glasses was kicking the robots to defeat them and they instantly were destroyed, he adjusted his glasses and kept hunting for more. A girl with short, brunette hair levitated robots and sent them crashing down, earning her points. Everyone was having a blast getting point and Bakugou had destroyed most them. He hungrily started looking for more, but the ten minutes were ending.

In the monitor room, different teachers were observing the students activity to make sure nobody was fighting each other and everything was under control.

"The students are doing quite well, don't you think All Might?" asked an indecipherable creature. It was not mouse, nor bear nor dog! He was the Principal Nezu of U.A.

"I guess they are doing quite well.." answered a slender, blond man with blue eyes and black sclera.

"Anybody fit to be a successor?" asked Nezu. "There are plenty of strong people here."

"There are indeed strong potential successors available, but none of them catch my eye. Perhaps I should wait and see."

Nezu nodded and was satisfied with that answer.

Suddenly, a humongous robot ascending from the ground which sent the examinees running for their lives in fear.

"Shit! I'm out, I'm not dying today!" shouted a boy as he ran away. So did many others, including the glasses boy and Bakugou saw that his business on the battlefield was finished so he went as well. But there was a scream that came from under the robot, it was the brunette girl! She was clearly in immense pain and suffering but nobody even batted an eyelash her way when they all ran. They were too worried for their own lives and security to care about some random strangers, it wasn't their business. Yet..they still wanted to be heroes with that kind of attitude. If they thought they could carry on studying to become a hero with that mindset, they were extremely foolish to believe so!

All Might squinted towards the window as he thought he saw a student in trouble.

"_Are my eyes..deceiving me..?" _All Might thought. His eyes widened in shock to see a student being crushed under a huge robot. By habit, All Might switched to his bulkier form and was running towards the door, until he was stopped by Nezu.

"What ever is the matter, All might?"

"An examinee is in trouble an-" All Might was cut off.

"Is that so? Then you should've told me sooner. I will just stop the robot with my controls and set it different commands." He said as he calmly stopped the robot. "See?"

All Might was relieved to see that the student didn't die.

Back at the replica city, the brunette girl was shocked to see the robot stop squashing her.

She sighed in relief . Then, an old lady with a syringe for a walking stick came by with a reassuring smile.

"Hello dear, what's your name?"

The girl answered, "O-Ochaco Uraraka.."

"Ah, okay. Uraraka are you hurt anywhere vital or major?" asked the lady.

"Only my arm is broken. I used my quirk to make some of the rocks float, Miss..Miss.." Uraraka didn't know what to call the lady.

"Recovery Girl. Call me Recovery Girl." said the old lady as she kissed Uraraka's arm. It healed in a matter of second. Uraraka was very grateful and surprised. She thanked Recovery Girl and left.

The examinees then left to check out their scores. There were a mix of groans and hisses of excitement, happiness and gloominess.

"That was fucking easy." scoffed Bakugou, he left as he thought he had seen enough. "These extras have nothing on me."

Izuku shivered at the question.

"_Do you wish to join the league?" _he hummed in response to Sensei's questions.

Izuku weighed up his options with his thumb on his chin in contemplation. He heard irritated grunts in the room.

"_Well, to start off, I have nowhere else to go to and no way to get money or support. I'm still a kid. They also said they could hone, reward and make use of my skills in analysis. I'd be an idiot to decline the offer. If they-no, if Sensei finds me valuable then it's likely he won't kill me, but I'm not pushing my luck on that, I don't even want anything. Hm.." _thought Izuku.

"I'll join." said Izuku blandly. He was met with a grin from Sensei.

"Not like you had much of a choice, brat." murmured Tezobi. Izuku sent her a glance before looking back to All for One.

"Don't sing your praises yet, as I have two conditions."

"Which are?" asked Sensei.

"First, please provide me with a living space as I have nowhere to go, ask Kurogiri why. Secondly, I will have free will over what I do but I will listen to your commands." replied Izuku.

"I can comply with that. Midoriya Izuku, welcome to the League of Villains." said Sensei in a dark, dramatic voice.

"Agh, Sensei, I'm going to check on _'them'_. I can't stand to look at samurai boy's face anymore." complained Tomura, scratching his neck. He glared at Izuku before leaving, Izuku however, was unfazed.

"You have quite the stoic expression, Midoriya. You're very quiet as well. May I ask why?" asked Kurogiri. He was referring to the time when they met during the mob in front of Izuku's house. "Someone your age should be full of energy and ambition."

"Ambition, did you say? You truly are one to joke, Kurogiri. I lost my meaning to live when my parents died because of me. To hell with ambition." replied Izuku, emotionless.

"_This is one messed up brat." _thought Tezobi, who was currently drinking soda and shaking her head.

"But to answer your question, I have two reasons for my silence. One is because I find it unnecessary to speak without purpose, it's a waste of energy. Secondly, everytime I speak, something bad happens either to me or someone I care about. I don't doubt my own misfortune but I do not care for anybody, so who would end up getting hurt? Just me." said Izuku.

"I see, thank you for answering. Sensei, I'm going to check on Tomura and see what he's up to. Excuse me." and with that, Kurogiri bowed and exited the bar.

It was now just Sensei, Tezobi and Izuku. Izuku wasn't bothered by Tezobi and thought of her as an annoyance. He was quite frightened by Sensei but in the fear was a dash of anger. Sensei hadn't done anything to Izuku, so why was he angry?

"Sensei, I have a request. I want to get my tabi and geta back." said Izuku.

"You can." Sensei replied and opened a portal to go to the roof. The portal was similar to Kurogiri's quirk but a bit darker. Izuku stepped inside the portal and was back at the roof. It was quite overwhelming for Izuku as he hadn't been outside for a while and it reminded him of All Might, Bakugou and his parents. For better or for worse, they were important to him regardless. Izuku put on the tabi and geta and went back into the portal. He could escape right now but he had no such desire.

Izuku arrived back at the bar now in his full costume. He felt complete now. Tezobi saw him coming in and looked at his attire.

"Hey, Brat. Do you even know how to use a sword? Or is the whole samurai get-up for nothing?"

commented Tezobi, it caught Izuku's attention.

"No, I cannot use it. But it isn't for nothing." replied Izuku. He wondered why she was interested.

"That brings me onto my next point, Midoriya. Tezobi will be training you on enhancing your senses, enhancing your speed, learning all fighting techniques, flexibility and agility, and learning how to use the sword and other weapons. She will also teach you how to conceal your presence." Sensei told Izuku. Both Izuku and Tezobi were shocked at what he was saying.

"_The hell? I didn't even get a say in this, he knows I hate children. Agh fuck, fuck, FUCK..I should've just kept my mouth shut..." _angrily thought Tezobi. Izuku was surprised as he thought he would just be analysing people.

"Is that clear? You will starting tomorrow." finished Sensei.

Izuku nodded.

"Shall I show you to your room? It is getting late, Midoriya." said Kurogiri, calmy out of nowhere. This made Izuku jump a little.

"_I didn't even notice him!" _thought Izuku. But Kurogiri was right, Izuku was tired so he nodded and was led down the hallway to a room with a bed, a sofa and a broken television. It seemed quite quaint but Izuku didn't care. He could just fix the television with some solder and wires.

"I trust this is sufficient?" asked Kurogiri. Izuku nodded in response and Kurogiri left.

The minute Izuku hit the bed, he drifted into a dream..

**Hello, viewers. I will be going somewhere for three days so I will not be able to post anything. However, when I return, I'll be posting more chapters. Thank you. - Takahiro.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter eleven - **_With power comes great pain and enlightenment._

"BRAT! Get the fuck up!"

Izuku was suddenly awoken by a female voice shouting aggressively. For a few seconds, he was confused as to where he was and who the voice belonged to but then remembered everything that happened the day before. Izuku groaned in laziness and disappointment as he sloppily put his face in his hands.

The door swung open and a pair of blue high-tops connected to his jaw with painful force.

"I said, wake up! Are you deaf or something?" Tezobi clicked her tongue and glared at Izuku evilly. Izuku winced in pain and rubbed his jaw before shakily getting up.

"_Why does she feel to the need to abuse me like this.." _thought Izuku. Tezobi was wearing the same outfit she wore during their first meeting; black tank top, blue high-tops and black shorts. She never seemed afraid or nervous and Izuku envied that.

"Follow me." she said in an irritated voice, as she walked down a dimly lit hallway with many doors scattered about. They walked quite the distance with only the sound of their walking feet. Izuku was wondering how much longer it would take before they arrived to wherever they were going.

Tezobi stopped in front a watered-down black door before turning to face Izuku, who wore a stoic expression.

"Okay, brat, Sensei said I should train you on all the shit he said yesterday. So, today is the day. Got it? I'm not going easy on you." stated Tezobi in a firm tone. Izuku just nodded in response.

"_This is going to be hell on earth." _thought Izuku.

When he walked in, he was first met with several practice dummies. Some old, some new and some that were completely disfigured. There were concrete walls across the room that were meant for destroying. There were two or three mats to use for safety but Izuku doubted Tezobi would allow him to use them.

"Okay, you little shit, Sensei told me you could choose what you wanted to work on first. So, what is it?" asked Tezobi. Izuku thought about it.

"_I don't really want to be alive right now but that's not possible for many reasons, so an invisibility quirk would be nice. But I'm quirkless, so that's also not possible..meaning I'll need to have people think I'm not there." _thought Izuku.

"I want to conceal my presence." said Izuku, bluntly.

"Fine." said Tezobi. "Brat, you can feel my presence in this room, right?"

"Yes."

"Close your eyes and feel this." said Tezobi. Izuku seriously didn't like the way things were going and didn't like or trust Tezobi for a second. He reluctantly closed his eyes as he did not want the girl to forcingly close his eyes for him. Once he closed his eyes, Izuku patiently waited to feel something on his skin. About three seconds later, he felt as though something left him. Some kind of aura or maybe part of his soul had left his body, he felt incomplete. It reminded him of an empty feeling.

"_What the fu.." _thought Izuku, as he opened his eyes with a shocked expression. He was baffled, to say the least.

"So you CAN look shocked? Hm." said the white haired girl in a mocking tone. "That's what it feels like when somebody conceals their presence when they are right in front of you, but when you are hiding and nobody is expecting you, it will be like you aren't even there."

Izuku nodded in understanding.

"To conceal your presence, close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath in and briefly imagine the room you are in without you in it. Once you've done that, open your eyes and move about as you please in a silent manner. Got it, brat?" explained Tezobi. "Now, try it."

"Okay." replied Izuku.

"_This should be fairly simple.." _he thought. With that, he closed his eyes and imagined the room without him in it and opened his eyes. He quickly made his way behind Tezobi and attempted to kick her in the spine for revenge for what she did to him, but was instead met with a punch to the gut by Tezobi.

"_Not bad, for a brat. Never thought a timid shit like him had the balls to try a sneak attack." _thought Tezobi as she glared at Izuku with those same soulless, hatred-filled eyes.

Izuku clutched his side as he vomited a little because of the force. It didn't hurt him as much as the previous attacks he received, though.

"Okay, you little shit, you are gonna learn all the martial arts techniques in existence. If you get it wrong, I don't care what you say or do, you will get beat up for it. Grow some balls." with that, Tezobi punched Izuku in the jaw then kicked him in the groin. It was unexpected as a few seconds ago, she was just talking but now he was getting beaten up. Izuku was kneed in the stomach and got elbowed in the ribs. This violence went on for about fifteen minutes and Izuku got bruises and swellings. He teared up a little, but not much.

"_She is..just like Kacchan. What does she gain from this abusive behaviour.." _he weakly thought.

It wasn't until ten minutes into the abusive that he recognised a karate move she was doing. He noticed how she wasn't punching his pressure points but wasn't holding back either. He blacked out for a few seconds, before being slapped hard to wake him up.

"S-Seiken punch.." said Izuku weakly, who had no strength within him.

"So you do know something, huh, brat." scoffed Tezobi, who easily picked up Izuku, despite him wearing his yukata and sword. She sat him down on a mat and gave him some water and waited 20 minutes to let him get up again. She might have been violent, but she wasn't so delusional to believe that he'd learn high level martial arts in a day. She wasn't going to punish him for being human. Once Izuku was well enough to get up again, he looked Tezobi with nothing but hatred in his eyes. He even clenched his fists so much, his knuckles turned white. His eyes were an evil green and looked like the eyes of a demon. Tezobi saw this and for two seconds was scared but was then she regained her composure.

"_What the fuck was that? Was I just scared right now? By a whiny, little brat?_" she thought in disbelief. Tezobi wasn't afraid of anybody, not even All for One. She was just cautious and respected the guy. How in the world Izuku scared her, she didn't know, but she wanted to use that pure, horrific rage of his to fuel his strength in martial arts and one-on-one combat.

She smirked. "Brat, look and listen here. Watch what I do to the dummy over there."

"_That bitch thinks that she is all that. She must have thought I was some idiot.." _Izuku thought. While Tezobi was beating up Izuku with different fighting techniques, Izuku was memorising her movements and the points where he was being hit and the damage he was receiving. Tezobi was by far the strongest person Izuku had seen or met in his life, beside All Might. It was kind of ironic how the strongest people he encountered were the people who seemed to look down on him. Little did Izuku know, that neither Tezobi nor All Might thought little of him at all.

He snapped back to reality, and saw that Tezobi was shouting certain fighting techniques and what the techniques would be doing to the person being hit. She did this all while hitting or destroying the dummy in a certain way. Izuku thought back to a few minutes ago when he was being hit and saw that he was hit in similar ways to the dummy, except he didn't know what the techniques were called back then.

Izuku's eyes widened in realisation as to what Tezobi had been doing the entire time.

"_Oh..Oh my God..that kind of makes sense..so she wasn't beating me senseless without a reason. She was using certain martial art techniques on me and then demonstrated it on a practice dummy while naming what the techniques were, the damage it did to the person being hit and how weapons could be incorporated into the fighting. Why didn't she just say so in the first place, my god.." _thought Izuku in annoyance.

While Izuku was thinking this, he was still absorbing all the information he was getting from Tezobi, like a dry sponge would absorb in all the moisture it could get. Tezobi noticed that he had realised her teaching style and smiled to herself in slight satisfaction. While this teaching style was not taught amongst the masses and shouldn't be encouraged amongst children, it kind of worked with Izuku.

Morning turned to afternoon, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and Tezobi had now taught Izuku defence mechanisms to learn that countered all the techniques he was previously taught. Izuku was sent on different jobs to analyse different thugs and villains and send the information to Sensei via the computer he was given in his room and him being the top-tier analyst he was, he quickly caught on to everything he was taught. Even Tezobi was impressed at how fast he was learning. Tomura was annoyed, angry and slightly envious at Izuku's competence. Izuku remained with his stoic expression all the while. He was taught his flexibility, martial arts, enhancing of the five senses, concealing presence, ways to use different weapons like throwing knives, machete, cane and baton and speed enhancing. Izuku got a six pack but kept his slender, small physique.

He sparred with Tezobi on par most of the time but he still got insulted and got his ass handed to him. But Izuku noticed that Tezobi was slightly nicer to him than when they first met.

Even though Izuku was taught how to use many different weapons in battle, he would stay loyal to his samurai sword.

**Thank you for reading. I will be writing and posting new chapters when I have free time or when I feel like writing. I have no fixed writing schedule but I won't be on any long hiatuses. Stay tuned. - Takahiro. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter twelve - **_Underestimation_

Today was the first day of attending U.A high School and Bakugou was really feeling confident in himself.

"_I got the highest score in the whole fucking exam. Hell, maybe I even broke a few records.." _he thought as he grinned to himself. Half an hour later, Bakugou arrived at the door of his classroom, _1-A_. The second Bakugou walked in, all eyes were on him but it didn't go silent. Bakugou was expecting to be flooded with praise and lackeys swarming him, but none of that happened. A boy with red spiky hair walked up to him, along with a girl with pink skin, a boy with black, flat hair and a boy with orange hair and a black streak in it.

"Dude, what you did in the exam was so manly! Kirishima's the name!" said the boy with spiky, red hair. He smiled and put his hand on Bakugou's shoulder. But, before Bakugou could even retaliate, the rest of the people around him started to speak.

"I'm Mina and your quirk is soooo powerful and your hair is soooo spiky! Like Kirishima's!" said the pink girl as she touched Bakugou's hair in fascination and innocence.

"Oi…" Bakugou growled hoarsely under his breath. Nobody seemed to notice, they were just so loud.

"I'm Kaminari. Nice to meet ya'." He waved to Bakugou.

"Sero here! Man, you were awesome out here..we should have lunch together sometime." said the black-haired boy.

"Hey, Sero! Not fair, he is gonna eat with ALL of us!" exclaimed Kirishima. Sero just rubbed the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly.

"_Who do these fucktards think they are? Touching me and speaking to me like we are even on the same caliber..I swear, I'm gonna…" _thought Bakugou. But before Bakugou could even do anything, he was cut off.

"You lot. Sit down in your seats, if you think that this is a social club that you can just sit and chat then you can get out." said a dull voice coming from a yellow sleeping bag on the floor. All the student, except for a few, were utterly shocked that someone just spoke of nowhere from the floor. Nonetheless, everyone sat down.

"My name is Aizawa Shota and I will be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year." he said as he crept out sluggishly out of the bag.

"Homeroom teacher?!" said the boy with glasses. "So, he's a hero? I've never seen him before.."

"Tenya Iida, do you have anything to say so me? If so, speak aloud. If not, everyone put on these uniforms and head outside." said Aizawa.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Aizawa! Sorry!" Iida bowed and made his way outside with his uniform, as did the rest of the class.

Minutes later, the class were outside doing some stretches to prepare for whatever they were going to do. A few minutes after the students, Aizawa came with his hands in his pockets and hair in his face.

"Today, you will be doing an apprehension test. I'm doing this of my own accord and to see whether or not you lot have any potential. If you do not do well, you will all be expelled." Aizawa said in a mundane tone. There were confused noises and sounds coming from the class and groans as well. Bakugou was even happier.

"_Hah. I'll show those happy bastards just who is above them and that they aren't on the same level as me." _Bakugou stretched and made small explosions in his hands.

An hour went by and the class had done all the tests that were given to them. Bakugou came third and was annoyed that he didn't come first, but as long as he was above the four classmates that he encountered earlier, he was fine. But, that produced the opposite reaction.

"Bakubro! You did amazingly as always!" Kirishima said while putting his arm across Bakugou's shoulders.

"What the hell do you want?" said Bakugou in a hostile tone with a sour expression.

"What..? What are you talk-"

"What do you want from me? I don't want a fucking lackey weighing me down!"

shouted Bakugou. Everyone looked at the two of them. Kirishima let what Bakugou said sink in and then he laughed.

"Bakubro! I want to be our friend! Not your damn lackey!" he laughed out and flapped his hands in Bakugou's face. Kirishima genuinely liked Bakugou, though they knew nothing about each other. He thought Bakugou was strong, independant and manly.

"Whatever.. I'm out." said Bakugou in an irritated tone with his hands in his pockets. Sero, Mina and Kaminari flocked towards Kirishima to find out what happened and asked many questions about the shouting.

"Did you fight? Are you still gonna be friends with him? Is he hot headed?" All three of them asked in a jumble.

"Hey, hey, hey! Slow down. He is hot headed but he will soften up a bit..! Maybe…" he laughed and then walked up to their next lessons. The rest of the class went on with their day.

_(With the League)_

Izuku walks into the bar from his room wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt. Tomura groaned in annoyance to see Izuku's face so early in the morning. Izuku kept an unfazed face, as if Tomura wasn't there. Tezobi was lazily slouched on the purple sofa staring at Izuku.

"_Fucking quirkless shit. He thinks he is better than me..I'll kill him.."_ thought Tomura as he scratched his neck in contempt.

"Good morning, Midoriya." said Kurogiri, who was cleaning glasses. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"Good morning. Protein bar, please." responded Izuku with his hand on his face.

"So, you aren't gonna say shit to me, brat?" said Tezobi in false irritation. She darted to Izuku at an inhuman pace.

"Hah. You're gonna get your ass kicked this early in the morning." said Tomura grimly. Tomura couldn't be anymore wrong. Izuku darted towards Tezobi at the same quick pace and kicked her in the groin and jumped off her shoulder onto the bar counter. Izuku glared down at Tezobi with tired, bored eyes but those same eyes had a hint of determination in them. Tezobi smirked and back flipped up back into her former seat. Izuku just swiftly jumped down onto his chat and ate his protein bar like nothing happened. Tomura was shocked beyond definition, Kurogiri was slightly surprised as well.

"What the fuck was that?" commented Tomura in distress. "You fought Tezobi on par..!"

"Midoriya, Sensei has a job for you. It'll be your first official job for the league so you need to get ready." explained Kurogiri. "I think you should change up your style a bit and get an alias. You don't want your name spreading around different villains, since you're new and quirkless. Though you aren't to be underestimated."

"I figured." replied Izuku. "So?"

"So, what will your alias be?" Asked Kurogiri. "Please be brisk as I have to do your hair."

Izuku hummed and decided to call himself after the face of his nightmares, the weight of his guilt.

"Faceless." replied Izuku. "Call me Faceless."

"What kind of dumb name is that?" argued Tomura.

"Did I not tell you there is always a reason for why I speak? Why would I bother to think of something meaningless and trivial?" Izuku retorted with a glare.

"Don't speak like that to me, you have a haircut way overdue so shut the fuck up." said Tomura, who was fully prepared to disintegrate Izuku's face and was gripping his chair in resentment. Izuku didn't think much of Tomura but knew he was quite quick on his feet.

"Tomura. Calm down." said Kurogiri sternly but politely. "If you don't mind me asking, why are did you choose this name?" Kurogiri asked Izuku but noticed that the computer monitor had the red light flashing. Sensei was listening.

"_They are bound to find out _anyway._"_ thought Izuku. He shut his eyes and spoke.

"Well, the first time I had my dreams, it was more of a nightmare. In the nightmare, I was in a black void and I heard distant voices. I suddenly couldn't breathe and I touched my face, only to find out it wasn't there. I had no features on my face. It was the most painful thing I had experienced in my life. Then, someone grabbed my head and dunked it in freezing water then I could breathe again." explained Izuku. "But after that, I was sent in my parent's car and we drove in our neighbourhood to our home. It was a really happy and joyous time for me..I wanted it to continue forever.. But then I distracted my dad over something trivial and silly and he lost control of the car and I felt my facial features leave me again and I was faceless, yet I still had my eyes. I cursed my luck and cried. I woke up only to find out it was a dream but...the dream happened in real life. Everything happened as the dream dictated it would. I killed my parents with no face, I killed them twice.."

The whole room went silent and you could hear a pin drop. Tezobi was there to hear Izuku's life story along with Sensei, Tomura and Kurogiri, it was extremely tragic but they never heard about his dreams. Izuku wore a melancholic expression on his face but did not cry or waver. His story painted more emotions than words could ever tell.

"_What a sad life for a young boy." _thought Kurogiri. Everyone thought similarly to him but knew not to underestimate him. _Faceless_ truly was meant for Izuku. It was all he had.

"How sorrowful. Very sad, indeed, Midoriya. I do sympathise with you wholeheartedly but I hope you know you will not carry this burden on your own. I will carry it with you during your time with the league." Izuku bowed in response. Tezobi and Tomura were surprised Sensei was listening at all. "Regarding your quirklessness, it seems that you do have a quirk."

Izuku froze in his place and was having a panic attack inside, though he didn't show it on the surface.

"W-What..?" asked Izuku in a shaky voice. "My toe doesn't have the specific joints it should to develop a quirk. You are mistaken, Sensei.."

"You are correct. Ever heard of the proverb _'If the shoe fits, it's yours'_? Well, your case is the opposite. Just because the shoe doesn't fit, doesn't mean it isn't yours. You have a quirk called _'Make Believe' _where the user can see glimpses or events of the near future within their dreams. Whatever happens in the dream, happens in real life. The user can change the future by acting however they wish within the dream and nobody can interfere. However, the user must be asleep or unconscious while dreaming or to activate the quirk at all. This quirk is only compatible with few people, it didn't even work for me!" declared Sensei.

Izuku was finding it nearly impossible to take this all in but he had no choice but to do so. Izuku was confused at what All for One's last statement meant, but he bore it no attention.

"But...how.." said Izuku. He held his head in his hands and breathed in and out before regaining his composure. "Okay. I understand..Uh..Kurogiri. I'd like to change my appearance now."

"If you wish. Please, follow me." Kurogiri led the way to a room with salon and barber supplies and a mirror and chair. Izuku sat in the chair and waited for Kurogiri to finish preparing the equipment.

"Now, Midoriya, I will be dying your hair black and straightening it to change your appearance. You are currently missed to the public so we can't have anybody noticing your long, green hair. Please know that you will look a bit feminine."

"I don't care for my looks." said Izuku blandly. Kurogiri continued to dye and straighten his hair and the process only took 20 minutes to do. When it was over, Izuku thanked Kurogiri before going to his room to change into his yukata, tabi, sword and geta. Izuku just held his mask in his hand as he would wear it outside. He grabbed his books and a pen to write with for the job.

Izuku now had long, black, straight hair, big green eyes, pale skin, thin strips of bandages hugging his arms and eye bags. He still had a small physique but now had visible muscles. Tomura stared at Izuku before snickering.

"You already looked like a girl before, now you are seriously convincing me, samurai boy." insulted Tomura, as he destroyed a cup, much to Kurogiri's anger.

"Wanna repeat that, handyman?" retorted Izuku, as he held his hand on his sword ready to chop of Tomura's hands without a second thought.

"There's no time for bullshit arguing, you have an analysis job to do for Sensei. Hurry up and go before the whiny bitch Tomura starts throwing a fit." said Tezobi, drinking soda on the chair.

"Come back quickly, there's a big event tomorrow." ordered Kurogiri, cleaning up Tomura's mess in anger. Izuku nodded, put on his faceless mask and ran off. He was analysing a hero taking down a low-rate villain upclose.

"_This'll be easy and quick." _thought Izuku as he got close to the fight going on. The hero was _'Mount. Lady' _and she was fighting a pink villain. From what Izuku could tell the villain was weak an quite reckless and stupid, but Mount. Lady was no better. She was fighting for the paparazzi to video her and take photos of her and increase her publicity. But that wasn't Izuku concern, he was only there to analyse the situation.

"Hero name is Mount. Lady and her quirk is Gigantification. She can make herself very, very tall and big at will. Due to her size, she can take down many villains at once. Her weakness is that she can't vary in sizes between her normal height and her height using her quirk. Meaning she can only ever be 162 cm or 2062 cm. Her quirk could be improved if she learns how to regulate her height and minimise excessive damage…" Izuku writes down. He mumbles in between his sentences and records the fight. Minutes later, he thinks he has seen all that is necessary and takes his leave.

However, on the way to the League, he goes through an alleyway to make it quicker and is met by a bunch of thugs. Some are drunk but they are all very stupid. Izuku was getting annoyed as he had to get back quickly as Kurogiri ordered.

"Heyy, Missyyy, why you in suchh a rushh..? I'll show you a good time..!" said one chubby thug as he approached Izuku and attempted to grab him as the thug thought Izuku was a girl. Izuku simply sighed under his mask and swiftly kicked the thug in the skull. He accidently killed him. Blood splattered across the street and onto Izuku's yukata and mask.

"I went a little hard there, didn't I fellas?" said Izuku in a mocking tone. "I'm a guy, by the way. I suggest you let me through or you'll all die in vain."

"You bastard!" screeched a thug as he made a katana out of his arm and ran towards Izuku. Izuku easily dodged the man and cut of his arm and slashed all his arteries, leading him to a slow, painful death. A bit more blood got onto his outfit.

"_Too slow, way too slow. He can't even use a sword. I will only kill the other two thugs if they provoke me." _thought Izuku. If he was gonna kill them, he wanted it to be fast as he had somewhere to be. A thug made his fist bigger than his head and ran at his fastest towards Izuku. Izuku dodged the punch and concealed his presence, which caught the thug off guard, and cut off the thug's fist with the swift move of his sword. Izuku was getting bored and tired of fighting pests. He raised his sword and flicked off the excess blood of the sword and it splattered on the ground to meet with the three dead thugs.

The last thug was frozen in fear, and just stared at Izuku, who was now walking towards him with his sword unsheathed.

"So?" Izuku casually asked, as if he didn't just kill three people. "What's it gonna be?"

"W-Who are you?" stuttered the thug. Izuku just tilted his head and his hair moved to the side softly.

"Call me Faceless."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter thirteen - **_The fickle finger of Fate._

_(At the Police Station)_

"So um...do I start talking now or..?" asked the thug.

"Yes, please, begin your account on what happened at the scene some hours ago." replied Detective Naomasa.

The thug fidgeted in fear of what would happen afterwards but decided to speak anyway.

"S-So, yeah, I was walking down an alleyway with three of my friends and two of them were pretty drunk but I wasn't. We were walking down a bit more until we saw this small person walking in the opposite direction. One of my friends were drunk as hell and tried to make a move on the smaller person because he thought he was a girl b-but.." the thug paused.

"But?" asked Naomasa.

"But the small person kicked my friend in the head!" shouted the thug. "The person kicked so hard that it killed my friend but right after he did it, he acting so casual and was all, _'maybe I kicked a little hard'_! I'm just there staring at what happened. But then my second and third friend decided to avenge my first friend by charging at the smaller person but the smaller person was so fucking quick on his feet and slashed one of my friends veins and cut off one of the arms and fists.. The guy had blood splattered across his clothes and mask and the guy had a damn sword! He walked up to me but I didn't provoke him so maybe that's why I was spared. After that I don't remember much..I had alcohol but I wasn't drunk.."

Detective Naomasa was in complete shock at what he had just heard.

"_This is crazy and way beyond the lines of self-defense!" _he thought.

"Can you please give me a description and name of the villain?" asked Naomasa.

"I don't know if he was a known villain but he was kinda short and had long, black, straight hair. Even I thought it was a girl for a minute. He wore a yukata, tabi, geta and had a samurai sword sheathed on his hips. I couldn't see his face 'cause he wore a white mask with no facial features on it." explained the thug.

Naomasa scrunched up his face in frustration.

"_That's gonna make things a bit harder...maybe this new guy is with the league.." _he thought.

"And his name?"

"Huh? Oh, he called himself _'Faceless'_. I'm guessing it's an alias, though." said the thug.

"Hm, okay. Thank you for your time. You can go now as you haven't committed any crimes and didn't attack Faceless." said Naomasa. The thug got up and left the station, leaving Naomasa in a confused and intrigued state.

"A new villain, huh. And to appear at a time like this when a teenage boy went missing." murmured Naomasa to himself. "It's a coincidence. That case was dropped long ago and was forgotten when the kid was disclosed as quirkless, that was pretty sad." Naomasa pondered over the thought of the quirkless boy but got up to leave when he was called by another detective for a different case. The thought lingered in his mind and he would remember to tell different heroes about it.

Izuku arrived at the league hideout covered in scattered blood from head to toe. When he walked in, Tezobi and Tomura took up a fighting stance, as they didn't recognise the person was Izuku until he took off his mask. They sat back down but Tezobi got up again to get a good look at Izuku. She was shocked.

"Woah, hey, brat, what the fuck is going on? Why do you have blood on you?" Tezobi asked with her arms crossed.

"_He better not have done what I think he did.." _she thought. She did somewhat care and like Izuku in an older sister kind of fashion but she did not show it and still went hard on him during fights and kicked his ass.

"Isn't obvious, Tezobi? He killed someone. Tch." answered Tomura, scratching his neck and rolling his eyes.

"_He better not get cocky or else I'll have to remind him of his place here."_ he thought.

"Incorrect." replied Izuku unfazed. "I killed three people and spared one." Izuku walked over to the counter and ordered a soda from Kurogiri. Tomura got up from his seat and slowly walked towards Izuku in disbelief while Tezobi just gazed at him in confusion, curiosity and concern. She didn't like that Izuku had already killed at the tender age of 15. She kept that to herself, however.

"You.." growled Tomura. "Why? Do you think you're cool or something?"

"Midoriya, you came back a bit late, please give me the paperwork to send to Sensei." Kurogiri commanded. Izuku complied and gave the papers away to him. Izuku sat down and drank his drink. Tomura wasn't having it.

"Hey! Listen to me, damnit! I'll kill you.." screeched Tomura. "Tell me why you have blood all over you! I'm the boss here, I should know you, fucking shit."

"Shut up, my gosh. You sound like a whiny kid. I'll talk when Kurogiri gets back." replied Izuku in an irritated tone. Tezobi was taken aback by his attitude but said nothing. Within a few minutes, Kurogiri returned.

"Everyone, our big event will start in an hour so use the time wisely. Tomura will be explaining what it is soon, but Midoriya looks like he has something to say." said Kurogiri, behind the bar. He was very observant.

"Yeah, brat. Spill." said Tezobi, crossing her legs. Tomura just growled.

"Sure, whatever." answered Izuku. And within 10 minutes, Izuku explained what happened in a brief but detailed description of what he did and what happened. Tezobi stepped on Izuku's foot at a fast pace so that he couldn't dodge.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the hell would you pull a flashy stunt like that?" asked Tezobi, who was clearly annoyed.

"I was provoked, almost groped and was nearly killed. What should I have done? Let them kill me and grope me? I do not regret my decision, Tezobi." declared Izuku. Tezobi had never heard Izuku call her by her name so she was a little shocked.

"Whatever, brat." she drank her soda and leaned on the sofa. Tomura just clicked his tongue.

"I kept my identity a secret and told the one I spared I was Faceless." said Izuku. Nobody present had a problem with that. Kurogiri didn't have a problem with Izuku and kind of liked him. Though, he did get a bit concerned for the child.

"_His soul has been this badly tainted? He is losing his chance of redemption in the long run but youth does have its privileges so all he can do is hope that he doesn't go to jail later on." _thought Kurogiri as he shook his head. He then remembered the big job they had to do today.

"Tomura." said Kurogiri.

"Yeah, yeah. I know!" said Tomura as he was exposing a sadistic grin.

"We are going to U.A to kill All Might today." said Tomura in an excited tone. Tezobi burst out laughing and clutched her stomach. Izuku scoffed and gave a short smile.

"Congratulations, Tomura. You almost made me laugh there." said Izuku wryly.

"Shut it, you samurai fuck. You too, Tezobi! I'm using the notes you wrote about the rest of the heroes that will be there to help us kill him, samurai boy."

"I mean, sure, my notes will help kill the other heroes, but All Might? My notes can only do so much." said Izuku sipping the last droplets of his drink. He had no desire or pleasure killing anybody, even people like Bakugou or Heroes or people. Though he didn't care when he killed.

"That is why we have _'them' _to help us." cut in Kurogiri. "The Nomu."

Tezobi's eyes widened.

"So that's what Tomura has been obsessing over this whole damn time." she said. Izuku looked confused.

"Let me enlighten you, Midoriya." said Sensei, form the monitor. Izuku had gotten used to Sensei's talks without warnings. Izuku got up and bowed at the monitor before sitting again. "The Nomu are artificial creatures I created that possess multiple quirks, a bit like myself but I'm stronger."

Izuku was intrigued. He knew about All Might's quirk and All for One's quirk and the both of their quirk's origin. Izuku was furious when he found out that All MIght was once quirkless but still got to talk down on him when he wa sin the same position. He knew about it because Sensei used one of his quirks _'Data Shift'_, which allows him to transfer information that Sensei already knows to someone's mind, to tell Izuku about his quirks. Sensei did this after Izuku was told he had a quirk. Though Izuku is the only one who knows about Sensei's quirk history, everyone else knew about Sensei's quirk.

"Do they have free will and their own intelligence?" asked Izuku.

"They do not. However, they act upon Tomura's orders so they will not harm my allies." explained Sensei.

"I see. Thank you, Sensei." said Izuku.

"My pleasure. Kurogiri, please continue with the plan."

"Of course." said Kurogiri, and with that the red flashing light switched off. "Tomura and Tezobi have a brief understanding of all the teacher's quirks if they decide to resist, so we can fight. We have gathering up around 75 low-rank villains to fight with us and you are coming along with us, Midoriya. I assume you're fine with that."

Izuku gave off a sadistic smile and his green eyes shined as he remembered that Bakugou would be at U.A.

"That will be fun." Izuku said and chuckled. It sent chills down everyone's spine when he did that. "Kurogiri, I want to wash my costume. It has dried blood on it and it is very precious to me."

"Of course, please change into something else and it'll be ready in ten minutes." replied Kurogiri. Izuku quickly removed his clothing in front of Tezobi and Tomura with no shame as they had all seen each other's body before. Izuku dashed to his room and wore sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

"We have thirty minutes until we leave so prepare yourselves." All three of them gave off callous smiles before preparing for the raid to U.A.

_(In U.A)_

"Okay, class, that's the end of that. Now, put on your costumes so we can go to the U.S.J for training." said Aizawa lazily before waiting outside to go on the coach. Within minutes, everyone had changed. And was in the coach ready to go the U.S.J

"This is going to be so fun!" said Uraraka and she punched the air.

"You seem very excited, Ochaco-chan." said Tsuyu.

"I'm pumped too!" shouted Mina with a huge grin.

"I heard the place is really big and there are a ton of replica disasters!" said Kaminari.

"Yeah, man, I can't wait. What about you, Bakubro?" said Kirishima as he glanced at Bakugou.

"I don't give a shit. All I know is that I'm going to beat everyone of you." replied Bakguou while stubbornly looking out the window.

"Ah, of course you are." said Kirishima while smiling and shaking his head. The class chatted for a while more until they reached the U.S.J.

"Take your seatbelts off and get off the coach," ordered Aizawa. The class did as they were told. When they got down everyone gasped in awe of the U.S.J. They whispered incoherent praises to the building and smiles were shot across the class. Then, a hero in an astronaut's outfit came towards the class with a friendly wave.

"Hey, 1-A. My name is '13' and I will be teaching you about real life disasters and how to rescue. There are different biomes and environments you will be saving people in such as fires, landslides and flooding…" said 13, but it was as he was explaining, that a black portal opened up near them. Out of the portal stepped out a mass of low-rated villains that were ready to attack the students and teachers. Then there was a motionless Nomu next to Tomura and three other villains.

Aizawa saw this and shouted, "13! Take the students somewhere safe or back to the coach! NOW!"

13 nodded and ran to the students to guide them to the coach.

"Is this part of the U.S.J?" asked Kirishima.

"NO, they are villains!" at the mere sound of 'villain' everyone was terrified but wouldn't hesitate to defend themselves. "Everyone, defend yourselves if necessary!" 13 used his quirk to suck in the villains and turn them to dust while Aizawa easily defeated some of the weak villains quickly.

"Kurogiri! Make a portal appear behind 13 to turn himself into dust." said Izuku calmly, analysing the situation. 13 gasped.

"Students...that..is the type of villain you should be..w-wary of.." 13 said weakly, pointing to Izuku before going unconscious. Aizawa was fuming and turned his anger into power to beat the villains.

The other 1-A students were defending themselves from the villains and nobody was seriously injured.

"These villains aren't as daft as they seem, they chose a place where there were no teachers and it was away from the school. That was quite clever."

"Hey..oi..Kurogiri, I thought you said All Might would be here!" said Tomura, who was getting annoyed. He scratched his neck and it started to bleed.

"He should be."

"Maybe breaking a few students should do the trick." suggested Tezobi.

"Maybe. Well, pardon me, 1-A students. We apologise for coming here on short notice but we have business here to destroy your futures!" declared Kurogiri dramatically. He then transported the students to different areas. Izuku eyed the students. Then found a boy with blonde, spiky hair he grinned to himself.

"_Bingo." _he thought.

"Kurogiri, send me to the boy with spiky, blonde hair. I need to say hello and get revenge." Izuku said to Kurogiri in an aggressive manner.

"If you wish." Izuku was then transported to where Bakugou.

"_Man, fate does work in mysterious ways." _thought Izuku. Bakugou and Izuku were now on flatland and wave of fury came over Izuku at the sight of Bakugou.

"What the fuck? Why do I have some girl standing in front of me- eh it doesn't matter as you're gonna be ended by me today. Fucking small fry." shouted Bakugou from across the land. Izuku didn't move a muscle but instead hummed to humour himself. Bakugou took offence to this.

"OI! FUCKING SMALL FRY DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME!" snarled Bakugou as he blasted towards Izuku. Izuku simply moved his head to the side and grabbed Bakugou's arm and slammed him into the ground before throwing him on his bare back like a bag of trash.

"Get up." demanded Izuku as he looked down at Bakugou with a murderous aura around him.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" and with that Bakugou attempted to blast his gauntlets in Izuku face but Izuku knees Bakugou in the groin and kicks him in the face with his geta.

Bakugou was practically being thrown around like a ragdoll. All of Bakugou's attacks were useless. He didn't have the training that Izuku did, he just had brute strength and a quirk.

Izuku smiled to himself under the mask as him venting out his pure fury and rage onto his number one bully was quite unique feeling. He liked it. Bakugou had enough of being pushed around at jumped into the air.

"HOWITZER IMPACT" shouted Bakugou. Izuku was a bit wary of this explosion but knew he'd be okay.

"Of course he would do this." he whispered to himself. Izuku took the blast head-on as he would not be able to dodge it. The explosion was catastrophic. It teared down all the things around it and left some places on fire. Some of Izuku's bandages burned off. He got up and dusted himself off and did some simple stretches before glancing at an unconscious Bakugou again.

"That one hurt a bit, Kacchan." said Izuku. Suddenly, in his comms, he heard Kurogiri's voice.

"Come back immediately, we will leave soon."

"Roger." replied Izuku before running back to the main facility. Izuku arrived next to Tezobi who seemed tired and bored.

"When does this shitshow end…" she groaned and yawned casually in the chaos around her. Suddenly, a huge blast of debris and air came towards everyone as they saw a man in suit with blonde hair come into the U.S.J.

"All Might…" said Tomura in excitement. Izuku just stayed silent while another rush of anger came over him.

"_All Might, destroyer of hopes and dreams. Welcome." _thought Izuku. He would never forget the day that he lost his chance and determination to become a hero.

"You villains have succeeded in one thing..increasing my fury. My poor students had to fend for themselves while I was doing nothing. I am touched. Now, I must end this!"

"NOMU!" Tomura cried.

Suddenly, the Nomu and All Might exchanged 300 punches with each other and gave each other blasts. But, the Nomu was losing.

"Tomura won't be happy with this." mumbled Izuku.

All Might didn't notice that Izuku was right behind him when he punched the Nomu. All Might was extremely fast and Izuku dodged him by the skin of his teeth.

"_That was close.."_ thought Izuku.

All Might noticed that Izuku dodged him.

"_He can move at the same speed as me? How powerful is that villain? No- what could he do to my students if he could keep up with me.." _thought All Might.

"My Nomu was beaten..impossible he was made to defeat All Might!" Tomura shouts hysterically.

"Made to defeat me? Then, let's go for round 2, shall we?" bluffed All Might. More heroes arrived.

"_He's at his limit. As much as I hate him, this isn't for everyone to know." _thought Izuku.

"Kurogiri, get the warp ready for escape. We are clearly outnumbered and must retreat." said Izuku.

"The fast one..he sounds no older than my students.." said All Might.

"How did he become a villain at such a young age?" asked Nezu

"How sad.." said Midnight.

"I suppose you're right. Tomura, we are leaving."

"NO NO NO! I'm not leaving! Nomu was supposed to win!"

"Tomura, we need to go or we will not survive this." suggested Kurogiri.

Tomura grunted. "Fine."

"Told ya'." said Izuku before slipping into the warp gate after Tezobi.

"Shut up, Faceless..!" shouted Tomura. And with that the warp gate had closed and the League of Villains had left.

"_Faceless, huh. That's his name…"_ thought All Might. _"Though his voice sounds fairly familiar…"_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter fourteen - **_Truth be told_

At U.A, several pro-heroes and a detective were gathered around a conference table and were discussing the events that took place at the U.S.J. The pro-heroes were: Midnight, All Might, Eraserhead, President Mic, Principal Nezu and Detective Naomasa. The atmosphere was quite solemn and Principal Nezu held the meeting.

"Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for taking the time out to come here." said Nezu, warmly. "I will cut right to the chase. The League of villains broke into the U.S.J yesterday afternoon, supposedly searching for All Might and to kill him."

The heroes present nodded as the attack was still fresh in their memory. All Might kept a still expression. Nezu explained for a few minutes about the damage that was done to the building and the financial issues. He moved onto the villains that were at the scene and the students that were hurt.

"There were a total of 78 villains present at the invasion. 45 were captured, 30 dead and three had retreated and escaped before we could do anything. Majority of the students were not injured in any vital ways. However, Bakugou Katsuki was quite vitally injured by a villain I will discuss later on during the meeting." explained Nezu. The heroes nodded in understanding.

"Kurogiri is a known member of the League of Villains and has a warp gate quirk that can make a portal appear anywhere he wants. He is an _A/B _rated villain and is very dangerous. Tomura Shigaraki is the leader of the League and has a disintegrating quirk, letting anything he touches turn to dust. It is quite similar to 13's quirk and is extremely dangerous. He is an _SS _rated villain. Tezobi is also a known member of the league, though not many people have seen her. She is a villain that is skilled in hand-to-hand and short-ranged combat. She is _S/A _rated villain. Her quirk is a power enhancing quirk that makes her very, very strong. She is also dangerous, though not as much as Tomura." said Nezu. Midnight put up her hand.

"Nezu, wasn't there a fourth main villain?" asked Midnight. All Might and President Mic nodded in agreement while Aizawa crossed his arms and had a deadpan expression. Naomasa furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Ah, I was just about to get to that." replied Nezu. "The fourth villain is called 'Faceless' and seems to be a new villain and possibly a new League member." Naomasa stood up straight and his ears perked up at the name 'Faceless'.

"This new villain, unlike his allies, is sadly quite young. Most would say about as young as our first-year students at U.A." said Nezu sorrowlly. Many of the heroes were quite shocked to hear of a villain so young. Naomasa was the most shocked.

"This generation is going to shit..honestly.." brumbled Aizawa. The thought of his own students becoming villains is quite unsettling in its own way, now he had to deal with this!

"_There's no way in hell a fucking teenager brutally killed three full grown adults. I can't believe it! I won't believe it…" _thought Naomasa in frustration.

"Many would propose that this is Faceless' villain debut and his first strike of action. This villain possesses long, black hair, yukata, tabi and geta, bandages on his forearms a small but muscular physique and a samurai sword. His facial appearance is unknown as he wore a featureless white mask. Faceless was seen near Kurogiri and looking for someone specific. The person he chose was warped somewhere secluded and he fought Faceless, so to say. There is no concrete evidence to support this point but it should be fairly obvious to infer."

"It really and truly does sadden me to see a villain THIS young. Maybe if he is led in the right path he could be a hero." commented All Might. He was quite optimistic when it came to heroism but some could argue he was too naive.

"I agree." said Nezu but Midnight and Aizawa shook their head in disagreement.

"We aren't giving him the benefit of the doubt because of his age, if he acts like a villain and should be treated as such. Midnight agreed, Naomasa was deep in thought about Faceless and his theory that he was the missing quirkless boy.

"I agree, thank you for the input." said Nezu. "Back onto track, Bakugou was found vitally wounded and unconscious in the flatland area. He had second and third degree burns to his neck and arms, a fractured shin and skull, cut cheeks, broken ribs, and bruised skin to show that he was punched or kicked in that area. There are many smaller problems with his body but that is not significant."

Aizawa was fairly shocked.

"_Bakugou is one of the most powerful people in my class. How was he beaten so easily? If Tezobi, Kurogiri and Tomura were at the main facility and the low-ranked villains were defeated...don't tell me.." _Aizawa's eyes opened in realisation to who it was.

Nezu saw Aizawa's reaction and deduced that he had figured out who it was.

"_So, you noticed too, Aizawa." _thought Nezu with a concerned feeling.

"I have now come to a conclusion that Faceless was responsible for the damage done to Bakugou, as he was missing from the main facility at the time Bakugou was sent through a portal by Kurogiri." said Nezu.

"Young Bakugou…" whispered All Might with pity.

"To effortlessly do that much damage to a top student means this Faceless guy has a powerful quirk!" commented President Mic.

"I'd like to point out that when I was fighting the Nomu, I moved very quickly behind me and didn't notice that Faceless was there and he dodged me. A normal person would've gotten injured from the accidental hit but he dodged me." pointed out All Might.

Now everyone knew that Faceless was dangerous to a new caliber to rival All Might in speed.

"Oh my God.." said Naomasa.

"He can match your speed? Now, that's serious even in addition to what he did to Bakugou. The police have ranked Faceless as an _SS_ or a possible _SSS_ villain for his actions at the U.S.J but we have decided to keep it at _SS_." said Nezu. "Though we do know his power, his quirk is unknown."

Naomasa gasped.

"_Wait, wait, wait. Unknown? That means he could be quirkless." _thought Naomasa, he was connecting the dots of his theory.

"Maybe he was quirkless." commented Naomasa. Midnight shook her head and sighed at that comment.

"_Can someone quirkless become a hero?"_

All Might flinched at the sudden thought. Why was he remembering this now of all times? All Might contemplated about the boy.

"I'm sure not even I need to explain why that's impossible, Detective." said Midnight with an almost laughing tone.

"I wouldn't rule out that possibility of quirklessness." replied Nezu. This made All Might feel guilty.

"_Was I wrong to say what I said to him that day? I didn't even get his name.." _thought All Might.

"Please enlighten us, Nezu and Detective." said Aizawa.

"Well," Naomasa got up to the head of the table, where Nezu stood. He had files on the boy 'Izuku Midoriya', his disappearance and what he looked like. "There was a missing quirkless boy from around ten months ago and his name was 'Izuku Midoriya. His parents died from unfortunate circumstances and he was in Middle School during his disappearance and his parent's death. He had no friends or teachers that were fond of him so getting information on his life is fairly hard. He has long green hair, green eyes, fair skin and bandages. Just like 'Faceless'!" Naomasa handed around the files and photo of Izuku Midoriya. "We could maybe search for him, maybe even save him before he does anything else..!"

All Might's skin turned a ghostly white and his mouth was agape.

"_T-Ten Months ago? That's when I told him he couldn't be a hero..the appearance of his face and body were similar and he their voices were similar..no..it can't be.." _All Might covered his mouth in guilt. "Did I push him over the edge? Was I his last hope? What kind of pathetic hero am I?" murmured All Might to himself. Everyone noticed that All Might was clearly in distress. They were going to ask what was wrong until Nezu spoke again.

"It is just as Detective says, and with all this evidence, it would be daft to ignore the possibility." said Nezu.

"It is still a possibility, Nezu. This could all be coincidence. We don't know Faceless' name, appearance or age. We are just theorising at this point. Please don't act upon your feelings. If we are going to get serious then I would think we would need more evidence." said Aizawa, who was a slave to logic. The conference went on for another hour, before the classes started again and the heroes had to teach.

Bakugou opened his heavy eyelids with a calm, fixed face. He looked around himself and then at his body to find out he was in Recovery Girl's room. That could only mean one thing.

"DAMN! I lost to that fucking Samurai bastard! That doesn't make sense..I'm the best so what the fuck is happening?" Bakugou screamed. He was in denial that he lost to a villain, and so easily as well! Bakugou tried to move but his body was worn out, tired and ached to the bone. LIterally, to the bone.

"_That bastard broke my bones and messed me up like I was some fucking smoothie in a blender! I'm the best and I will beat his ass the next time I see him." _thought Bakugou.

"I'LL KILL THAT SAMURAI BASTARD THE NEXT TIME I SEE HIM!" shouted Bakugou. So loudly that Recovery Girl came to give him some calcium pills. He reluctantly took them as he has no choice. After that, there was suddenly someone at the door.

"Who is at the door when I never fucki-" Bakugou was cut off when he saw that familiar red hair.

"Yo, Bakubro" said Kirishima is a friendly, casual way. He walked towards Bakugou and looked at his injuries. His smile faded.

"Did a villain do this? My God..How strong they must've been.." said Kirishima, eyeing Bakugou's legs and arms that were currently encapsulated with bandages.

"Shut up! Don't look, I'll kill you!" shouted Bakugou in his usual aggressive tone. Kirishima's smile came back after witnessing his explosive-buddy was still the same old Bakugou.

"Sure, sure buddy." Kirishima patted Bakugou's shoulder playfully. Kirishima's face got a little serious, after.

"Seriously, though. Who did it? Was it a bulky looking villain? He must've been to cause this much damage because you're crazy strong." said Kirishima. He was genuinely concerned for Bakugou.

"I don't fucking know.. I don't want to tell you, damnit! Get out!" shouted Bakugou. He was angry, embarrassed and upset that he lost to a villain so small. And so easily, at that! The villain was short and fast, it was overwhelming Bakugou just thinking about it. The villain's height reminded him of..Deku.

Kirishima looked a bit hurt that he was being rejected like this. He just wanted to help his best friend in hard times but of course Bakugou being Bakugou, he wouldn't allow it. It would take a toll on his pride. Maye Kirishima was a little pushy? He liked Bakugou for how prideful, manly and powerful he was and really cared for him as a friend but he didn't like how he pushed everyone away and was excessively aggressive towards everyone.

"O-Okay. See you in class, then!" Kirishima flashed his notorious, happy smile at Bakugou with all the courage he could muster up, when in reality, he felt like crying. Bakugou noticed this.

He felt a small, very small pang of guilt when he saw Kirishima like this. He was always there for Bakugou when he was alone and looked a little helpless. He was nice to Bakugou without expecting anything in return.

"Fucking shitty-hair is making owe him." mumbled Bakugou to himself. He sighed after and went back to sleep.

"Brat! Get back here and listen to me before I cut off your fucking arms!" shouted Tezobi in the bar.

"Samurai-shit, you better listen to me, I'm the boss here. I don't give a shit how many people you've killed or defeated, you listen to me..!" screeched Tomura in a whiny childish tone.

"So damn noisy..what the hell do they want.." grumbled under his breath. Izuku ignored the two people shouting at him and walked straight to him bedroom.

Izuku lept straight onto his bed in his room and heaved a loud yawn. He had barely slept, as he was either training or going out on Sensei's missions. He then thought back to when he defeated Bakugou during the U.S.J incident. Izuku weakly smiled to himself in satisfaction.

"_To think I was afraid of a person like him. He has a huge fucking ego and I refuse to inflate it." _thought Izuku. He had successfully temporarily forgotten about All Might because if he had not, his adrenaline would have surged through his body and make him angry again. Izuku was not an angry person. He was calm and indifferent most of the time and he preferred it that way as it wasn't tiring or irritating. Izuku was getting drousier by the second and softly sighed before closing his eyes.

"_This is my life now, huh…"_ he thought before drifting into a dream.

_(Izuku's dream)_

Izuku was in his villain outfit on top of a familiar building and a chaotic environment.

"_I've been here before in another dream..Hosu..again." _he thought. What was so significant about Hosu? He then remembered Sensei saying he had _'Make Believe'_. Izuku just had to accept his quirk.

Izuku's hair moved gracefully in the wind and he looked around him to check if this dream was the same or similar to last time. He saw behind him that there was Stain about to kill what looked like Ingenium. But Izuku saw one person on the floor beside them on the floor.

Izuku squinted. _"Is that..Native? The hero? Why does he look so helpless..why wasn't he there before.." _he dismissed the thought and looked in front of him. He heard people crying in distress, pain and fear as the destruction was unfolding before their eyes. There were glorious, amber flames dancing around Hosu in power, as it stole the lives of many. Izuku found fire a beautiful thing. Gorgeous, even. He loved how it brought happiness and warmth to everyone but by the same coin, it would destroy, corrupt and cause havoc if the flame is not treated with care or attention. Fire was an envious woman of sin but had maternal tendencies.

Izuku then jumped down, only to meet Kurogiri and Tomura beside a Nomu.

"_I remember this.."_ thought Izuku. The Nomu, however, was about to kill an innocent man. Izuku quickly remembered that in his last Hosu dream, he cut off the Nomu's head, but that proved ineffective as it grew back. But now that Izuku had knowledge, skills and strength, he could do something better.

Much to real life Izuku's surprise, Izuku jumped into push the man out of the way, saving him and telling him to run away. Izuku then realised what he did.

"_I changed the future..and saved a bystander...what is going on.." _thought Izuku in confusion.

Villains were bad, heroes were good, right?


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter fifteen - **_I kid you not._

Class 1-A, and and the entirety of the first-year hero course students, were preparing for the _'U.A Sports Festival'. _This was an event more popular than the Olympics. In Japan, anyway. Everyone was getting pumped and fired up, with the exception of a few students, who chose the calm side of things. Many 1-A students were skeptical about going out in public right after the villain attack but Aizawa simply said that going out again proved their strength and unwavering confidence to the villains to intimidate them. Bakugou got better the day after Kirishima came to visit him in Recovery Girl's room and he was in Gym Gamma for some intense training exercises. Not to mention, he had to vent out some frustration. Many students were there but some kept away from Bakugou as they knew of his difficult personality.

"God damn shitty-hair had to fucking go there and make me feel guilty...fuck him.." Bakugou mumbles to himself while he did 100 press ups, remembering yesterday's tantrum. Bakugou wasn't used to the feeling of guilt, as he had never felt it before. He thought of it as _'the feeling that erodes his pride' _and Bakugou did not like his pride being messed with. He didn't want to feel guilt again. He exercised so much that he didn't notice the tap on his shoulder.

"Bakubro..'sup..?" said Kirishima energetically. He was still upset about yesterday but he didn't want to show Bakugou his pathetic side.

"Shitty-hair..what the hell do you want?" replied Bakugou who was clearly not as angry as usual. Kirishima took note of this.

Kirishima looked towards the floor with a nervous smile and rubbed his neck. "Uhm, about yesterday..bro, I'm sorry if I got too nosy. It won't happen again so are we coo-" he was cut off halfway.

Bakugou's face only turned more sour.

"_This fucking feeling..it's eating away my damn pride and I hate it. He's doing this on purpose, isn't he? Because the damn festival is today. That sneaky bastard.." _thought Bakugou.

"Don't fuck with me!" a few heads turned Bakugou's way. "Stop making me feel guilty, you shit! You're doing this intentionally, aren't you?"

Kirishima had a blank and confused expression painted across his face. He tilted his head to the side. "Huh?"

Kirishima thought about what Bakugou had just said and he instantly laughed and slapped his thigh.

"Bakubro? Really? You felt guilty yesterday? That's not good for your health..also, you're forgiven!"

"Agh?! I didn't ask for your damn forgiveness, shitty-hair!" screeched Bakugou in his normal hoarse tone, making explosions in his hand. Kirishima laughed hysterically in the gym at Bakugou's reaction. Inside Kirishima as very, very happy that Bakugou was feeling some sort of normal emotion other than rage for his friends.

"_He's changing. Bakubro, you're changing surely, but slowly. I'm happy." _thought Kirishima with a warm smile. Bakugou and Kirishima, along with Kaminari and Sero, exercised their quirks to the max for the festival to show the world that they were the best.

"That damn samurai-shit...I'll kill him next time I see him!" growled Bakugou. His three friends turned to face him with curiosity to who he was talking about.

"Who?" asked Sero, who was carrying weights. Kaminari was also listening, as he wasn't told yesterday.

Bakugou grumbled at how he now had to explain to them what happened. "During the U.S.J I got warped by the fucking mist guy and he sent me to this land with a short person in a damn yukata and he...he fought me and damn won!" He punched a punching bag so hard that is was about to break. Kaminari tried to calm him down despite his shock.

"You were beaten? Dude..He must've been CRAZYY strong!" shouted Sero.

"That's what I said! But this guy won't listen to anything I say!" said Kirishima pointing a finger towards Bakugou.

"I don't damn care! I will kill him the next time I see him! I'll beat him harder than he beat me!" screeched Bakugou, who was now pumping with energy. Kaminari laughed but soon accidentally electrocuted himself so he became dumb. That made everyone laugh.

All the students soon prepared until they had to go to the stadium. Some people were nervous but a certain heterochromatic boy wasn't fazed at all. He simply walked.

Izuku got up quite early due to him sweating so much and was also about to get sucker punched by Tezobi for ignoring her yesterday. Tezobi looked at how soaked Izuku was and looked at him with slight worry. She was going to ask him what happened but thought he should tell him later. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked at her.

"What do you want?" asked Izuku, half-asleep. Tezobi clicked her tongue and crossed her arms.

"We have a mission. Get up." Izuku immediately awoke and got ready into some civilian clothing for when he was going outside. He wore a warm, black jacket on top of a red top and some jeans and sneakers. He needed to blend in if he was going out for missions. Tezobi and Izuku walked over to the bar counter and sat at the chairs.

"Morning, Kurogiri." greeted Izuku with politeness but exhaust. "Where's Tomura?"

Kurogiri responded politely as well with, "Good Morning to you, Midoriya. Tomura has no assignments so he could go and sleep longer."

That fueled a new jealousy within Izuku.

"_The brat gets sleep and I don't? Aren't I a growing boy? Whatever." _he thought.

"Pardon my abruptness" continued Kurogiri. "But we have a mission for you and Tezobi must attend as well." Izuku honestly didn't have the energy to fight back so he just nodded but Tezobi groaned in an unhappy way and arched her neck to look at the ceiling and spun in her chair.

"Why? Fuck sake, I was planning to sleep. Ughh!" groaned Tezobi in distress. Sleep was the one thing everyone loves in the League.

"You're going to check that Izuku doesn't kill anymore people for unnecessary reasons." replied Kurogiri. "Though, I doubt he would have the nerve to kill someone in broad daylight."

Izuku raised a brow. "Gee, thanks. Now, what's the mission?" he asked.

"The mission is to go to the U.A Sports Festival and analyse their quirks, powers, weaknesses and strengths then collect the information in your notebook. Tezobi, supervise him. Your tasks aren't up for discussion. They are from Sensei. " explained Kurogiri.

"_Why do I always get the damn babysitting jobs...?!" _thought Tezobi. She stomped out with her blue high-tops behind Izuku and went along to the festival.

It was quite easy for them both to walk in as the information about the 'Izuku Midoriya' case had been confidential and Tezobi hadn't been seen in public much. They looked like brother and sister next to each other. Or maybe..sister and sister. They showed their fake ID's to get in and they sat at the back and Izuku got his equipment out and the festival began.

"Kacchan will probably start with a declaration of him winning, people hating him then him actually winning.." Izuku said camly aloud as he bit the end of his pen.

"_Kacchan?" _thought Tezobi.

The start of the festival began just as Izuku had predicted. Tezobi would be a liar if she said she was not even the slightest bit curious about Izuku and the way he worked. All she knew was that he was getting outstanding results and large amounts of praise, so the kid was doing something right. Throughout the whole thing, Izuku was fully immersed in recording the information about the participants and mumbles like he was possessed. He devoted his undivided attention to the festival and stayed for as long as he could to see everything happen until Tezobi slapped him out of his trance of concentration. When the festival finished, Izuku looked tired but refreshed and satisfied with the information he wrote down. Tezobi was in awe, horror, confusion, curiosity and happiness whilst watching Izuku write. He seemed happy and she liked when Izuku acted his age sometimes. She never said it, but she wanted him to smile more. Izuku was an observant person and noticed one student leave before the winner's announcement. _'Tenya Iida'_. He heightened his senses, which included his sight, and used them to see his face all the way from the back and saw the eyes of a man out for blood.

"_Revenge, huh. Tenya Iida, don't cross that path or you won't come back clean." _thought Izuku. As much as he disliked heroes, he wasn't prepared to watch a fledgling hero become a villain over stupid revenge.

When they were were going back to the League, they encountered some lowly thugs, but all Tezobi and Izuku had to do was glare at them and their venomous glare alone was enough to say: _'you'll lose an arm if you aren't careful'_. They got back to the League and Tomura was wide awake. Izuku had more than sufficient information and he handed it to Kurogiri before attempting to go to bed. Tezobi grabbed his hood, stopping him in his tracks.

"What the hell-"

"Brat, why were you drenched in sweat this morning with a weird facial expression?" asked Tezobi in suspicion. She had the feeling it wasn't his first dream. Izuku was a little taken aback that Tezobi saw him like that and remembered it. Kurogiri, Tomura and now Sensei were all listening.

"_You just had to open your mouth.."_ thought Izuku.

" I had another dream. One that will happen very soon." said Izuku.

"Make Believe.." said Sensei. He and Kurogiri were very interested but Tomura was just jealous.

"Long story short; Hosu was in complete chaos and we were the reason for it. Nomu was there, too. I will not say anymore." said Izuku bluntly with an emotionless face. Sensei chuckled and clapped his hands while Kurogiri nodded. Izuku left out the parts where he changed the future and that Tezobi wasn't present. Tomura was furious and accidently activated his quirk on Izuku's hood.

"Who do you think you are, samurai boy. You have no choice but to tell us the res-" Tomura was cut off by Kurogiri.

"One of Midoriya's conditions when he joined the League was that he had free will over what he did. Hence, he isn't obliged to tell you, Tomura." said Kurogiri, wiping glasses at the counter. Izuku nodded to say thanks to Kurogiri for saving him there. Tomura reluctantly sat back down and childishly mumbled under his breath.

"Well said, Kurogiri. Tomura, learn from your colleagues and you will surely get stronger. I believe I am understood." Tomura at once got up and bowed to the monitor. "Midoriya, thank you for sharing this information with us. It is indeed very important and helpful that you are on our side and we are always grateful. Please meet me where Kurogiri will send you when the time comes. That is all." And with that, the monitor turned off and nothing more was said. Izuku shrugged, put his hands in his pockets and dragged his feet to bed. He was absolutely knackered.

"_Am I happy with the answer I_

_got?" _thought Tezobi. In hindsight, she should've been more considerate of Izuku's feelings. That was too late, though. You can't rewrite the past.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter sixteen - **_Lo! and behold, he is here._

Every since the meeting, All Might had been wallowing in his own guilt and needed someone to tell about his encounter with Izuku. But..if he did that then wouldn't people hate him? Wouldn't the crown of the _'Symbol of Peace' _be knocked off his head? He then remembered.

"Naomasa!" he said aloud, clicking his fingers. He rung him to come to his house so that he could talk about what had happened.

"_I wonder what'll happen. What will his reaction be? He might be horrified or indifferent but..he is my closest friend. He will understand.."_ thought All Might.

"Toshinori! Open the door!" called out a familiar voice. All Might was so deep in contemplation, that he didn't realise that Naomasa was banging on the door. He quickly got up and timidly unlocked the door.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you.." said All Might in his shrivelled form, before sitting on the sofa. "Please, sit.."

Naomasa was getting a little suspicious to All Might because of his strange behaviour.

"_He is never usually like this. What is it, I wonder." _thought Naomasa.

"It's about Izuku Midoriya." said All Might and Naomasa immediately widened his eyes in curiosity. "I encountered him ten months ago, a bit before he disappeared."

"I see. Tell me anything, I also have something to tell you about him afterwards." replied Naomasa with a serious expression. All Might nodded.

"I was out catching the sludge villain and he went under a bridge, which so happened to be where Young Midoriya was walking by. I assumed he was getting home but then the villain enclosed himself upon Midoriya and it looked like he was suffocating. I, of course, saved him and bottled up the villain. Then.." All Might sighed. "I was about to jump up again to leave once he was okay but then he grabbed onto my leg and I had not noticed he did that until I was in the air. I leaped onto a nearby building and let him catch his breath. He then asked me a question.."

All Might looked like he was about to faint of his guilt and sadness. Naomasa furrowed his brows in concern.

"He then..?" asked Naomasa softly.

"He asked me if it was possible to become a hero without a quirk. I-I said he couldn't and he looked absolutely distraught. I then insensitively leapt back into the air, as if I had not just crushed a young boy's dream. I did not see what happened to him after that." All Might buried his face in his hands in shame and grief. He truly did believe he was the reason for Izuku's disappearance.

Naomasa blinked and had a pitiful look on his face. Whether the look of pity was for All Might or Izuku, that was something nobody knew. After a brief moment of silence, All Might spoke again.

"Did I do the right thing? Tell me the truth, Naomasa. Give me something to work with here." said All Might who was clearly upset and low.

Naomasa gulped. "I..You.." then he sighed a shook his head. "Toshi, you did the right thing as you had good intentions and didn't want him hurt but you did it harshly and you were quite wrong. Quirkless people are not useless or weak by nature. It is their actions that determine their strength. I'm sure you remember where you came from." All Might looked away as he remembered how he used to get bullied for his lack of quirk.

"You always know what to say, huh, Naomasa. Thank you. I will apologise to him next time I see Faceless." said All Might. Naomasa scoffed.

"You know, it's nice and all to get hopeful but there isn't any confirmation of Faceless' identity. But yeah, you can try." said Naomasa. His gaze then got serious again.

"W-What is it?" worryingly asked All Might. He had a gut feeling that the next piece of news wasn't going to be good.

Naomasa cleared his throat. "I heard of Faceless from a secondary source, a thug. The thug told me that because Faceless was provoked by his friends, they got..killed. Please keep in mind, that those three deceased thugs were grown adults and had dangerous quirks. They were single handedly slaughtered by Faceless."

All Might's eyes widened so big that they looked as though they might jump out of their sockets. His mouth went dry and emitted incoherent croaky noises form it. His hands and body as a whole were still as ice.

"Killed?" shouted All Might, standing up from his seat. "Killed, did you say? Naomasa, you're kidding. Are we entirely sure that a quirkless, small 15 year old boy KILLED three grown quirk-armed men? Alone? Haha..I've seen it all now." All Might was frantically rubbing his mouth and looked really angry with himself. As if he was directly responsible for the murders.

"Those three killed thugs will make the whole 'saving Faceless' idea harder. The world isn't pretty, Toshinori. I want to help Faceless as much as the next guy does, but let's be _realistic. _Faceless is an _SS _rated villain who has matched your speed, is responsible for three deceased people, is with the League and has severely damaged one of 1-A's students. The string of redemption for the youth can only go on for so long before it snaps and he ends up in Tartarus." said Naomasa sorrowfully. All Might calmed down a bit before speaking again.

"I still can't believe it! He is the age of our students, for Christ sake! What messed him up this bad- no, WHO messed him up this bad? I will never forgive them." said All Might clenching his fists. He just couldn't understand it.

"Well, I can't understand it either but I would like to see him again soon. Maybe talk to him." Naomasa said.

"That's a bit naive, Naomasa." laughed All Might.

"Maybe so, but look who's talking." replied Naomasa. They laughed off the subject because they didn't believe it would happen. They were quite incorrect.

"Midoriya, you're going to meet with Sensei now."

Izuku's heart beated nineteen to the dozen just as he was typing out some documents. It was early evening and the first thing he hears is seeing Sensei? Sensei's presence is prominent enough through a monitor, but seeing him? That was a different story.

"_I wonder what he wants." _thought Izuku. He was more than scared as to what he would see or hear when meeting Sensei, but regardless, he got up and went through the portal in his room.

When Izuku arrived, he first heard the sound of heart monitors and the humming of different machinery. Then he looked around. He couldn't see much due to the lack of light but he walked forward.

"Midoriya, thank you for coming to see me." boomed a commanding voice. The second that voice spoke, it was as if gravity weighed down Izuku as he dropped to his knees and his eyes widened in fear. His skin went pale and he couldn't utter a word.

"_Shit. That's..Sensei's voice." _Izuku had never been so scared in his life and he would give anything in the world to run out of the room and never return. Then, the chair spun around slowly and Izuku's eyes matched the speed of he it to see who it was behind the chair in curiosity. But he knew. He knew Sensei was behind that chair but he wished and wished and hoped and hoped that it would just be anyone else. He was already scared of his voice, but seeing him would kill him.

"I look quite hideous at the moment, Midoriya. I'm sure you know why." said Sensei. His 'face' was exposed. Izuku's mouth widened along with his eyes and his seat was cold. Izuku saw that Sensei didn't have any facial features except from a mouth. That face killed his parents and he never stopped thinking about them. He even had dreams about them. Sensei had contorted tissue on his face and he had a malicious grin. For a second, Izuku couldn't even breathe.

"My, my. You're being a bit melodramatic but it is to be expected, considering your past. However, I'd like to quicken up the pace of our conversation. Get up." demanded Sensei.

Izuku, who had no strength in his muscles, somehow found the energy to get up. It was like Sensei was controlling him like a marionette.

"_Am I in trouble? This aura...so damn deadly.. it's so suffocating..but I will have to get used to it." _thought Izuku.

"I bet you think you are in trouble. You are not. In fact, it is the opposite." said Sensei. That made Izuku relax a bit more, though he was still afraid.

"I'm offering you a quirk."

"Eh?"

Izuku knew about Sensei's quirk about how he could give and take quirks but he never expecting this. He thought about it. It was his dream to get a quirk since he was a kid, he idolised quirks and analysed them like they were the bible. He used to love them so much. Yet..yet he just didn't have the same desire for them anymore. He was already strong enough to fight off quirk users so he felt no need for it.

"S-Sensei.." croaked out Izuku it was the first time in months since Izuku had stuttered. "I am truly grateful a-and honored for the offer. However, I don't want one and I feel as though I don't need one."

"I see. Why is that?" Sensei asked.

Izuku then spoke with disgust and confidence. "Because if I do accept the quirk, I feel as though I am succumbing to the superficial ideal of this unfair world. I am even stronger than most quirk users, thanks to the aid and guidance of yourself and Tezobi."

"_He really is an interesting boy." _thought Sensei.

Sensei then chuckled. That sent a shiver down Izuku's spine.

"I understand and I respect your choice. The offer is still up, though." And with that a black portal opened up to leave and Izuku stood in it and left. He felt very relieved to leave, but that free feeling had dispersed when he went to the bar to see Tomura clutching his shoulder in pain. Tezobi just shook her head in disappointment.

"You deserved that, Tomura. Lord, you just keep stacking up our enemies." said Tezobi.

"Kurogiri, please explain what the fuck happened." said Izuku.

"Samurai bastard…" growled Tomura. He held his shoulder. "I'll fucking kill him!"

"Midoriya, Tomura was trying to form an alliance with Stain and their ideals clashed and Tomura became aggressive, only to get stabbed in the shoulder." explained Kurogiri.

Izuku just shook his head and rolled his eyes. Then he suddenly remembered his Hosu dream that happened twice.

"Kurogiri...I want to destroy all of Hosu because of that Stain bastard..He will not get away with stabbing me in the damn shoulder!" snapped Tomura angrily as he stood up.

"Sensei, give me your strength.." Tomura said. Sensei replied through the monitor saying,

"Smart decision, Tomura Shigaraki. They will be there waiting for you."

"Then, lets go." Kurogiri replied and sent Izuku his clothes through a portal. Izuku quickly changed near the bar's sofa and was ready to go.

They quickly arrived in Hosu in an alley because of Kurogiri's quirk.

Tomura laughed in sadism.

"Let's cause great chaos, everyone." said Tomura. Then, Tezobi killed numerous thugs and nuisances in her way somewhere else, while three Nomu roamed about causing destruction everywhere it went. Within minutes, cars were flipped over, building were falling, fires were breaking out, people were screaming. Complete and utter hell. Izuku jumped up onto a roof squatting, to observe the happenings but then somebody tried to sneak behind him and strangle him. He swiftly drew his sword and slashes his throat without even looking at the person he killed. Some blood got on his mask, but he then wiped it off so it was clean again. He didn't like how it got dirty so easily.

"_How boring. I could have slept during this time.." _thought Izuku and he rested his hands on his cheek innocently. He looked around and saw that Ingenium was walking up to Stain, who was about to kill Native. Izuku decided he would get a good view from the roof and told himself he wouldn't interfere unless he helt it as necessary. It wasn't his business.

Tenya Iida walked up to Stain with confidence and rage in his eyes. He was so blinded by rage, he failed to see the injured hero in front of him.

"Hero Killer! You villainous vagabond!" shouted Iida to Stain who turned to face him.

"You, get out. I'm not here to kill dumb brats." replied Stain in an irritated tone. This angered Iida.

"You left my brother, Iida Tensei, unable to walk or use his quirk ever again! You are evil and I'm here to get revenge for what you did!" shouted Iida. Stain was disgusted.

"You are the reason I kill these fake heroes. A hero out for revenge? That doesn't and shouldn't exist but look at yourself, here to kill someone." Iida's eyes widened in realisation and fear. "And would you look at that! You were so selfish and indulged in hatred that you didn't even think to help the hero before you."

Iida glanced at Native and was saddened and angered with himself that he didn't think to help the hero. Stain inched closer to Iida and raised his blade near his throat.

"I-"

"Don't worry, though. You will be a good sacrifice to this world of corrupted heros, who flaunt their wealth and popularity."

"_The difference in skill is too great. Well, show's over." _thought Izuku, who then jumped down gracefully from where he was sitting on the roof to stop Stain's blade from killing Iida.

"You.." said Iida in shock. "You're.."

"_This might be the guy that Bakugou was ranting about all day…" _thought Iida.

"Faceless...you scum. You're with the League, aren't you?" spat Stain with venom. He moved his blade from Iida's throat and pointed it towards Izuku. Izuku, was unfazed but kept up his guard.

"_The League? Then..why did he save me..? It doesn't make sense.." _thought Iida. Native was confused at what was happening. Stain's quirk had worn off from Native but he was still frozen in place.

"I will kill you too, since you delayed my crusade." said Stain as he slashed his own blade near Izuku's face. Izuku was quicker and he dodged the blade and cut Stain's stomach, but not enough to kill him. Stain was stunned that somebody could even land a scratch on him while he couldn't do anything to stop Izuku.

"_To think he tried to kill an ignorant kid like that..disgusting.." _thought Izuku. He was not interested in killing Stain, but he would do what he had to. Just because Izuku was somewhat cold-hearted and indifferent did not mean eh killed the ignorant and good-doers. Izuku carried on landing slashes from his sword onto Stain's body as quick as lightning and didn't give Stain any chance to dodge. He didn't hit any vital areas, though.

"_What the hell is this guy's quirk..fuck. It's so annoying that I can't even land a dent on him.." _thought Stain. Iida thought that the way Izuku used his blade was magical and the way his haired flowed with his movements was hypnotizing. Native was very interested but terrified of Izuku's movements.

"Faceless.." they both whispered. Izuku was starting to lose interest in playing with Stain.

So, he knocked Stain unconscious, but not dead. He placed him beside Native, who looked like he had just witnessed something that would scare the devil.

Izuku walked up to Iida, who was shaking in fear and angst.

"Learn from this." was all Izuku said before jumping up from the alley way to meet up with Kurogiri and Tomura. The police, Naomasa, Aizawa and All Might met with Native and Iida to check on their well being. Aizawa was purely furious with Iida and gave him a scary scolding.

Iida continued to bow his head and said the occasional 'yes'. Native and Iida were told they would need to give accounts on what happened and who did this to them and they did. Iida told some of it and Native gave his own bits of the story and they both finished telling it within a matter of minutes. They forgot to give the name of the villain who did the damage to Stain.

"Is Stain okay?" asked Aizawa from a distance. All Might was confused to how Stain was rendered unconscious on the floor.

"I thought he was the one who attacked Iida and Native initially, but now I'm sure it's someone else." suggested Naomasa. All Might and Naomasa nodded in agreement, along with other policemen.

"But look at the wounds on Stain, though. Who would be able to do this damage to the damn Hero-Killer? They must be extremely quick." said Aizawa with a confused look.

"U-Uhm, Mr. Aizawa..Stain said his name was 'Faceless' a few moments before they fought. Faceless didn't talk at all during the fight and even before the fight. All he said to me was 'Learn from this'." said Iida. Naomasa and All Might exchanged looks of despair and hope. Faceless was in Hosu.

Many policemen gasped at the news as they kept hearing of Faceless' name all the time. Everyone was quite curious.

"Learn from this? Isn't he a villain? He has quite the nerve." commented Aizawa to All Might.

"Maybe..but he saved Iida. " All might replied.

"Well, we lucked out didn't we. It's nice to know he is still a merciful human being under all that villainous costume." said Naomasa. All Might, Aizawa and Naomasa dashed towards where a huge fire was, in hopes of finding Faceless and speaking with him.

"_Faceless..Are you Izuku Midoriya..?" _thought Naomasa. He was getting quite hopeful but knew it was stupid to get his hopes up. All three of the heroes arrived at the scene and looked around, only to see the same three villains about to step into a portal. Izuku was the last to try and get in.

"_Here goes nothing.."_ thought All Might.

"Izuku!" he shouted so that Faceless could hear him and he did. When Izuku heard his name being called out he flinched. It had been so long since somebody called him by his name. He turned his head to where the voice came from. Izuku saw it came from All Might and his blood started pumping with anger. He froze and didn't attack All Might because it wouldn't be good for the League in the long run, instead, his murderous aura increased. This caused the police Aizawa to narrow his eyes in slight nervousness, something that rarely happened.

"Come back to us, Izuku! You don't have to keep suffering, damnit!" shouted Naomasa. He knew about the boy's life from his files and knew how melancholic he was.

"_Save me, huh. You're a bit late, Detective.." _thought Izuku. It was true. He didn't have anything to live for, until the League brought him in. They saw potential in him and understood his hardships, something nobody else did. But he didn't particularly have a desire to be there. He honestly didn't want to be anywhere. His heart ached for simplicity and undisturbed tranquility.

"It's not that simple." was all Izuku replied with before stepping into the portal. Naomasa, Aizawa and All Might were now in the midst of a chaotic scene of fear and destruction. Aizawa couldn't help but notice the sorrow and despair in Izuku's voice. It wasn't like he was being held captive or being forced..nor was it a cry for help. It sounded like a person who just didn't care anymore.

"_Something is up..there's something I'm not being told about this boy." _thought Aizawa.

"You both have explaining to do tomorrow." said Aizawa in a curious and annoyed voice. He left to help Native and Iida.

"I guess now we know..we now know..our suspicions are confirmed. Toshinori.." quietly said Naomasa.

All Might just dropped to his knees and looked up to the sky.

"_What I would give for time travel..the things I would give to save you, Young Midoriya..." _


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter seventeen - **_A serenade of Hades_

Aizawa was in the teacher's lounge looking through some work schedules, he finishes briskly. He had been working double his usual pace because he was quite eager to learn about Faceless. Aizawa had noticed that during the Hosu incident, Naomasa and All Might seemed to know a lot about Faceless' identity and his background in general. They seemed to be calling out for him to 'come back', as if they had some form of responsibility over him. Aizawa didn't like getting left in the dark about these kind of things.

So, he texted All Might to get to the lounge quickly and to bring Naomasa with him.

"_They better not hide anything from me.."_ thought Aizawa as he impatiently tapped his foot on the floor. He had disapproved of villains from the start of his hero career and he still did hate them. But something about Faceless was different. He knew it, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"A-Aizawa.. You called us.." said All Might. He looked depressed, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"You look like shit. What happened to you?" replied Aizawa, in a bland tone. He certainly wasn't used to All Might looking this sad or negative. His entire character was happy-go-lucky.

"I'm assuming it's about Faceless, right?" Naomasa said, Aizawa nodded. "I can assure you that you will understand why All Might is like this, when we tell you about Faceless." All Might just looked to the ground and gulped in anxiety. Aizawa emitted a concerned hum and narrowed his eyes.

"_I don't like where this is going. It must be serious."_ thought Aizawa. The two of them then proceeded to telling Aizawa everything they knew about Faceless. His past, his identity, his murders, his appearance before and after he turned into a villain and All Might's encounter. Everything. They even told Aizawa their theories about Izuku and how they think he became a villain in the first place. Naomasa and All Might were not sure as to why they spilled all their information to Aizawa when they weren't even friends. Maybe they just felt he could be trusted. By the time they had told them absolutely everything, Aizawa was speechless. He felt as though he had been punched in the gut and had his soul ripped out of him. He places his hand over his mouth slowly and had his eyes wide with anguish. Why had it affected him so badly? He didn't know anything about Izuku, nor should he care. Izuku was just another measly, misfit villain, right? So, why?

Aizawa tried to croak out an answer, a response, some guidance, some advice..just..something! But he couldn't speak. Maybe it was that he wouldn't speak. Perhaps he shouldn't speak.

"I..Wow..That was..a lot to take in at once.." Aizawa's eyes darted across the room to look for some scapegoat or red herring.

All Might and Naomasa looked to the ground with their faces twisted in sadness.

Aizawa gave a dejected laugh and a bewildered, crooked smile and said, "Well, fuck! I mean..shit, wow. That's messed up. Where do I even begin...ugh.." Aizawa rubbed his forehead in confusion and oppression.

"_That is way too much..way too fucking much for a damn fifteen year old boy to go through. Seriously. My students are his age, damnit. The world is really going to shit." _thought Aizawa. He now sympathised with the boy but didn't forget he was a villain.

Aizawa retained his composure again.

"First of all, you." Aizawa pointed to All Might. "Why the devil would you tell an innocent kid he couldn't be a hero? You truly believe that's what he needed to hear? To think you are the symbol of peace..well, in your defence, it can't be helped. You're still human at the end of the day but really?"

"Yes, I know. I want to apologise to him. I wish I could've saved him..I really do. God..I'm such a stupid excuse for a hero." replied All Might, who was filled to the bone with gloom. Aizawa just sighed.

"So, Faceless killed three grown men with dangerous quirks? Are you sure, Detective? Doesn't seem realistic to me." said Aizawa, looking at Naomasa.

"Tell me, Aizawa. Do you believe a certified detective, such as myself, would wake up one morning and think to falsely accuse a minor of triple murder? Do you?" replied Naomasa with a deadpan expression.

"Fair enough. Well..he seems like a problem child to me. I don't deal well with problem children, plus, I have a class to teach in ten minutes." Aizawa got up and exhaled heavily. "Thank you for the information, Detective. You too, All Might. See you." WIth that, Aizawa left to teach a different class and that left Naomasa and All Might alone in the lounge. They felt as though they let out all the air, motivation and life within them. Nevertheless, they had to go back to their own designated jobs. All Might got bulkier and put on a smile while Naomasa went back to the police station to document on some trivial criminals.

Little did they know, Principal Nezu was behind the door the whole time. While many wouldn't see it on his face, he was in the middle of a collision of emotions.

"_Faceless, you learnt too early of the ugliness in this world." _thought Nezu, as he walked back into his office. He then drank tea to ease his mind.

What All Might, Naomasa, Nezu and Aizawa had heard about Izuku wasn't even half of what he went through. You can never know the true extent of one's pain and suffering.

Tenya Iida aggressively mopped the floor in deep thought, despite some students looking at him.

"I-Iida, are you okay? You know..after yesterday. You look a bit pale." asked Uraraka. She was very worried for Iida's well being. They mightn't known each other long, but their friendship was as sturdy as an old church. Iida just nodded and continued cleaning. Tsuyu beckoned Uraraka towards their next class, despite her also feeling upset for Iida. He was in fact thinking about what Izuku said to him and what he did to Stain back in Hosu. Iida then leaned on the stick of the mop.

"_Faceless wanted me to learn from my mistakes. He spared me and didn't kill Stain and did not even touch Native. He did this all, despite being a villain. I don't get it at all! Wait.." _he rubbed his chin. _"Maybe I do..maybe Faceless isn't so bad..! I mean, what does he gain from helping me, a random student? Nothing. Maybe he isn't so bad. If not for him, I wouldn't be alive right now." _Iida had then continued to mop quite happily, as he had optimistic thoughts about the villain. He liked to see the best in people without dismissing their wrongs. He wasn't necessarily angry about his punishment because he was well aware he deserved it.

Tezobi stomped into Izuku's room.

"Bra- Oh.." She was about to scream in his face about getting up and telling him not to be lazy. But, he had already been awake. Tezobi looked at Izuku's face, and saw it was soft and relaxed. He was reading a book on his bed.

"Tezobi? What is it?" asked Izuku, with an unchanging expression.

"I want to take you somewhere. Somewhere that is 'hell' incarnate." she replied with a serious face.

Izuku moved the book form his face and stared at Tezobi with a cold eyes.

"What have I done to deserve this punishment?"

Tezobi unfolded her arms and plopped herself on his bed. Izuku was quite startled by this. He was confused, but not scared. She was really getting softer everyday.

"Brat. I'm taking you to a place called Hades." she looked towards the ground. "It is truly a place for those who don't even deserve the mercy of death. I'm doing this to make you stronger. You can't stay cooped up in the arms of the League's protection all the time. The real world is a scary place. One that a kid like you wouldn't be able to handle. I want you to experience the worst of the worst. Believe it or not, it is for the best. However, it is absolutely vile and infernal, so I am not forcing you to go with me. You can choose whether or not to come." Izuku was quite afraid of the place she described but was equally intrigued. He had seen Sensei before, what else could scare him? But the way Tezobi gave him a choice whether to go or not. It meant Hades was serious.

It truly was gullible to think that way.

Izuku got up and changed into his villain costume and gulped.

"I'll go. Take me to Hades." he was curious about the place but he was terrified.

"Are you sure? What you will see there will scar you for the rest of your life. I'm serious, Izuku." asked Tezobi. Her voice was packed full of concern. She cared for Izuku like she was his big sister. She wouldn't show it on the surface, but the few times she slipped up and showed it, she was serious.

"_She called me by my first name. My name for the first time. Hades must be worse than she described, for her to do that. But it's too late to turn back."_ Izuku thought.

"I am sure." he replied to her. Tezobi nodded and opened the door for them to walk out to the bar. They needed Kurogiri to get there and Kurogiri to get back. If they didn't have a way of getting back, they were not getting out of Hades alive.

"Tezobi, what are you doing here? To piss me off?" asked Tomura. He was in a sulky mood for a reason nobody knew why. "Of course you came to piss me off. You brought Samurai shit with you."

"Kurogiri. I'm taking the brat to Hades." said Tezobi. The minute those words left her mouth, the red light started flashing on the monitor. Tomura's sulky mood vanished and turned to one of anger and confusion. Kurogiri was asking himself whether his ears had deceived him.

"Pardon?" asked Kurogiri.

"You've finally lost it, Tezobi. Are you out of your mind- you know what, you probably are, to send the brat to Hades. A fucking suicide mission. God help you, is all I can say." Tomura replied shaking his head and lying down on the couch.

"Tezobi, I'm sure you're aware, but I'm not fond of these kind of jokes. What did you really come here for?" asked Kurogiri.

"I'm serious. I'm taking him there and bringing him back. On that, I swear." Tezobi said folding her arms. She wasn't going to get the brat killed by some maniac. Izuku was panicking. Was Hades so bad that Kurogiri and Tomura themselves were unsure? He was crazy to agree to this.

"Tezobi." said Sensei from the monitor. Tezobi immediately turned to face it. "If you get Midoriya killed, you will be killed by my hands. I'll make sure to it. Bring him back, or else. That is all." The red light stopped flashing. Sensei's voice was calm as always but had a stern and frightening hint to it. Izuku wasn't liking this at all, but kept a strong demeanor. He had to see to it. He had to get stronger.

Tomura laughed in a mocking way.

"And you, Samurai bastard, you are just standing there like it's normal to just walk into Hades. Only a few people get out of there alive, you know. Make sure you get out of there in one piece." was all Tomura said before walking out and scratching his neck lightly.

"_Is Tomura.. Showing concern...for me? Jesus.."_ thought Izuku. He was really in for it.

"Make sure the boy comes back in one piece. Tezobi, I'm serious." Kurogiri whispered to Tezobi before getting a portal ready. Kurogiri places to small dots on their fingers that were buttons to activate Kurogiri's quirk and send them back. If they lost it, they were going to die in Hades. Tezobi nodded lazily before getting in front of Izuku. They stepped into the portal and were gone.

Once they stepped in, a flood of complete disaster were greeting them. The walls, which were once white, were slightly peeling and had crimson ribbons of death splattered across them. The penetrating screams of terror ran throughout the whole building, due to the acoustics being so prominent. The grotesque 'faces' of the villains walking around people who were being shot, stabbed and injected complemented the look of the fire behind them, which was burning someone alive. It was intentional. The assortment of plaguing, perilous, portentous auras and quirks surrounding Izuku and Tezobi could easily send a man to their maker. There were peelings of dead people's skin and the smell of burning fuels and flesh intertwining. It was revolting. Words could not describe the horror that was Hades. Izuku threw up in his mouth a little and almost fainted at the brutal sight he was seeing. He was lucky he was wearing his white mask, or he'd be beaten to the ground just for being weak. Tezobi held a strong face on the outside because she had already been to Hades before. She was just worried for Izuku. Izuku went pale in the face and staggered a little but not enough to make him collapse or be noticed by those around him. Tezobi slowed down her pace to tell Izuku something.

"Faceless." she whispered. "Don't do anymore than you have to. Look strong or they will kill you, no questions asked. Only press that button on your finger when I tell you to. Defend yourself. You will be walked up to at least twice today. Kill, if necessary. Understood?"

"U-Understood.." he swallowed his sick and kept walking.

"_This truly is a hell. I have to get out here alive and in one piece." _thought Izuku. He watched people fight, kill, steal, rape, commit suicide and other things he wished he had never even seen. It was absolutely horrific, disgusting, hellish. Mortifying, if you will. Nobody should have to see what Izuku saw.

Then, Izuku was encountered by two men. One who had a nasty blemish on the right side of his face, the other had crooked black teeth and a grey goatee.

"Hey, Kyousuke!" the one with the blemish said to the man with black teeth. "I found a pretty little girl..we'll use her then kill her. She doesn't look very mature but she has some muscles.."

"Heh? What the fuck is this?" Kyousuke asked in disappointment. "Kuro, I told you not to play around when it came to the women. What am I supposed to do with this..thing? She has no meat on her bones. Well, we could make use of her somehow.."

Tezobi knew that Izuku could handle this alone, but kept near to them regardless. Izuku was about to be grabbed by Kyousuke but then Izuku sliced open Kyousuke's throat, only to be met with bullet coming out of it.

"_What the fuck? God damnit. It's his quirk." _thought Izuku. He dodged the bullets, they were pretty slow. Maybe it was because Kyousuke was dying? It didn't matter, he didn't have time to analyse. Izuku saw Kyousuke limp, despite being cut in the throat, he took out his teeth and shot them extremely quickly at Izuku's chest. Izuku jumped up to doge it. He dodged it from his chest, but not from his leg. His leg bled from the bullet and Kyousuke died on the floor. The people walking around didn't seem to care. Tezobi glared at Kuro, waiting to see what he might do. Kuro opened up the blemish in his eye, and showed a blinding light towards Izuku's eyes. They rays were so bright that it would able to kill someone, because of how the brightness affected the nerves in the brain. A couple of thugs and villains around Izuku died but Izuku shut his eyes before it was shone.

"Gotcha!" snarled Kuro.

"Hmph.." was all Izuku replied with calmly, as he swiftly and adroitly ran towards Kuro and stabbed him in the heart, killing him instantly. With Tezobi's training, he could fight in the dark and with his eyes closed. While people were blinded, he quickly ran towards Tezobi so they could quickly end the trip.

"_The brat's seen more than enough for a day." _thought Tezobi. They made their way somewhere more vacant.

"This should be fin-" Izuku was cut off, when he heard footsteps behind him. Izuku turned around and got into a defensive stance. But he then dropped to one knee due to the heavy, demanding aura of the man in front of him. Izuku held onto the handle of his unsheathed sword but stayed on one knee. He found that he couldn't get up. Tezobi turned to face the man as well. When she turned to face him, he was tall, had piercing dark eyes and even darker hair. He looked a bit older than Tomura. His face was handsome and profound while he wore a black V-Neck sweatshirt with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath. He wore grey jeans and casual black sneakers. Izuku found it hard to breathe with all this excessive tension. Izuku didn't know who this man was, but Tezobi did.

"You've got to be shitting me..Tragedy. It's you. On a fucking day like this. Faceless, get behind me."

Izuku, however, could not. So, Tezobi slapped him to wake him up from whatever untimely daze he was in.

"Faceless, huh. You two see fairly close. Introduce me to him, Tezobi." asked Tragedy, tilting his head to the side with a wide, mischievous grin. Tezobi glared at Tragedy with deadly, cold eyes.

"Do not make me force you, Tragedy." she said in a low voice. Izuku had never heard Tezobi sound so serious and..scary? She was usually in some hormonal, annoying, nagging mood but she was quite different now.

"_I guess people change when it counts, huh." _thought Izuku.

"How cold of you, Tezobi. However, I'm more interested in this child you've brought here. Hmm.." Tragedy walked in small circles around the two in a childish, callous and innocent fashion while tapping his index finger on his lower lip. "..I want him to fight in the Colosseum..!"

"Tragedy, no. He will not. Move." Tezobi tried to leave the corner that her and Izuku were driven into but Tragedy simply blocked them.

"Shall I kill the boy, Tezobi?"

Tezobi wasn't stupid. She knew what Tragedy was capable of. He could kill the both of them at that second, had he wanted to. But he didn't. He'd toy with Izuku first.

"Faceless, was it? My quirk is called _'Asphyxia'. _I can basically take away all the oxygen in your body just by looking at you. I can do this as long as you're in my field of vision. You basically don't have a choice. Tezobi will show you to the Colosseum in five minutes. Prepare, or whatever. Until then..." Tragedy started to walk off but stopped, with his back facing Izuku and Tezobi.

Tragedy spread a sadistic smirk across his face.

"Oh, yeah, I'm the owner of Hades. Don't screw with me." and with that, he walked away.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter eighteen - **_What is a person's breaking point?_

Izuku was currently on the brink of madness.

"Haha. Five minutes, he said. I don't even know what the fucking Colosseum is!" panickingly said Izuku as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"That's not important right now." replied Tezobi in her usual aggressive tone. "All you need to know is that you gotta fight and come out alive. Even if you need to use a cheapshot to win, do it. Swallow your damn pride and live, or I'll get killed by Sensei."

Izuku scoffed.

"Four minutes left until I'm sent to the Colosseum. I'm gonna need to train." Izuku got into a fighting stance. "Come at me, Tezobi."

Tezobi put a grin on display.

"Now you're talking."

Izuku tried to kick Tezobi in the shoulder, but missed by a few centimetres. He backed up, ducked a blow to the skull then punched her in the gut. She wasn't fazed and darted towards Izuku at an inhuman speed before roundhouse kicking him. Izuku momentarily staggered but gained his composure again. Tezobi put Izuku in a headlock and used her legs to prevent him from finding any openings. Izuku had to think of a way out of this. He knew that moving a lot would mean using your muscles excessively, which would be draining your oxygen supply and decrease the production of glucose for energy. That would also increase the build up of lactic acid.

"_She is pain resistant, but I need to get out of this somehow, or it's lights out for me.." _thought Izuku. He gripped Tezobi's arm with his teeth and dug into her skin with all his might.

"_Bastard." _thought Tezobi. She flinched for about a second, that was more than enough for Izuku to quickly get up and pin her down. He jabbed his knee into her back, which would hurt. She tapped out in defeat and shot Izuku a nasty frown.

"It's time to go, brat." said Tezobi. She bit her lower lip in anticipation and walked in front of Izuku to guide him to where he needed to go. After a short while, they arrived at a black, bulky door that read _'Colosseum' _in simple, bold font. Izuku had a gut feeling he would get out alive but not unscathed. He had to win. That was because if he died in there, Tezobi would revive him, just so she could kill him again. She put her handle on the door before glancing at Izuku.

"Make me proud. As a coach and as a member of the League. Go, Faceless." she said with a look of faith in Izuku. Being called by his first name by Tezobi immediately formed a newfound confidence within him. Izuku nodded with determination. Tezobi opened the door and Izuku walked into the Colosseum. He was confident, but not boastful, nor proud. He had to remember his place and where he was.

When Izuku stepped into the Colosseum, he was bombarded with roars of drunk chatter and powerful people. The arena he was in looked like a replica of the real Colosseum and had thousands of people gathered to watch blood spill. Incomprehensible words and phrases were randomly spat across the arena and the air was buzzing with excitement. Izuku couldn't help but give a devilish grin under his mask as he watched the current fight take place. Instead of the traditional _'Gladiator vs Animal', _it was _'Powerful quirk vs weak quirk'._ The fights Izuku was witnessing were so one-sided that he started to get bored. He obliviously clicked his tongue, earning him a few glances. Tezobi, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"_Watch me, Tezobi, Kacchan. I'll show you the destruction I can cause."_ he thought.

"Next up!" said the presenter. "The infamous, Sonowataga. His quirk is turning his body into a poisonous gas, that once sniffed, causes the opponent to die!" The crowd cheered and many places their bets on him. Sonowataga walked into the arena with pride and his mouth full with barbaric shouts. He was a huge man and probably produced a lot of concentrated gas because of that.

"Sonowataga is facing a new person called Faceless. His quirk is unknown!" continued the presenter. The arena laughed and mocked and booed at Izuku, who took absolutely no notice. He was focused on his opponent's disadvantages and getting out alive. Izuku calmly walked into the arena. He had thought of all of his opponent's advantages and disadvantages, so he had nothing to worry about.

Sonowataga arrogantly smirked at Izuku.

"I'll have fun killin' you, Faceless! The world is a dangerous place so let me end your suffering, aye?" sad the large man. He gestured a beckoning signal at Izuku.

"Your arrogance will be the death of you." said Izuku. Before anyone in the stadium could react to what Izuku said, he sped towards Sonowataga and out of shock and habit, he turned to gas quickly.

"_That kid's fast. Heh, doesn't matter. I'll win this." _he thought. Izuku then ran in circles while holding his breath around Sonowataga and thinned out the gas. The audience were in pitiful shock.

"_Now, if he could just go back to his physical form.." _thought Izuku. If what the presenter said was true, then the more thinned out the gas was, the more sluggish and wheezy the user will become. Izuku used that information to his advantage. Like magic, Sonowataga materialised and held onto his knees and heaved in air like there was no tomorrow. Unsure grunts and sounds spread through the arena as they saw how vulnerable their favourite was.

"Uh, I don't know, man. That small runt might just win.." said a lanky guy, looking at Izuku.

"Nah, man! Sono went back to his human form. He's large, he'll beat up the brat." said a blue-haired man, while crossing his arms.

"Don't think you've won yet, punk!" shouted Sonowataga. Izuku, like he did with Stain, was getting bored of this prolonged ordeal.

"_I'll make this short and sweet." _thought Izuku. He swiftly drew his sword and sliced his opponent's neck and eyes, watching his lifeless body fall to the ground. The crowd was in silence for a few seconds. Then they roared and cheered.

"_This is disgusting. I've done my bit now. I'm leaving this place."_ thought Izuku. He was going to leave until he felt a cold hand on his shoulder. The aura felt tense and heavy. The arena quietened a little upon seeing Tragedy.

"Haha, that was great, well done, Faceless!" childishly complimented Tragedy. Izuku remained motionless. "Yeah, so, I want to see you fight a tad more." Izuku was getting annoyed and looked around for Tezobi. He looked around and saw her sitting with crossed legs and arms, staring at Tragedy. She then nodded.

"_Does she not care for me?" _thought Izuku. He'd just killed a man, and she wanted more? No, there was an explainable reason for this.

"Asphyxia." was all Tragedy said before disappearing. Izuku gasped in realisation at what he meant. Izuku was about to scream in anger and frustration. He didn't like being forced to fight and kill and take orders from people he didn't know..but he hadn't a choice. It was either he fought or he and Tezobi died. He chose the former, sadly. Tezobi looked away in guilt while Tragedy's eyes lit up in happiness.

Izuku fought every type of person there was for hours upon end until Tezobi stepped in to drag him out of the arena by force. He had cuts, bruises, blemishes, scars and much more. The bandages on his arms kept intact, somehow. Tezobi didn't say anything on their way to the bathroom. They went to the bathroom because there would most likely be nobody there, so they could warp freely. She glanced at Izuku and saw he walked with no stride, no confidence, no energy and no life. He looked like he had just come out of a bear's grip. He just walked. They reached the bathroom and clicked the buttons on their fingers then arrived at the hideout.

The hideout was a haven, compared to Hades. Izuku liked it. Maybe a bit too much. But there wasn't any time for that. The second he stepped into the bar, he ran into his room and disregarded that anyone was there. Kurogiri and Tezobi looked worried for Izuku because of the things he saw at Hades.

"That brat saw more than he should have." said Tezobi, shaking her head. "He did more than he should have. I had to forcingly pull him out of the ring. Fucking horrible."

"You know what they say. Curiosity kills the cat." said Tomura. He earned a glare from Kurogiri, who had no comment. But deep down, he hated himself or letting Izuku go to Hades.

When Izuku got to his room, he sluggishly sat on the cold, wooden floor and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds before hugging his knees and bawling his eyes out. Streams of tears made a non-stop flow down his cheeks and burned his eyes. It had been so long since Izuku had cried, it felt suffocating. That caused him more pain and suffering. He had a sudden overwhelming emotion come upon him. _Sadness. _It was a pure gloomy sadness that ate at him, turning the faucet in his eyes and reducing him to tears. Izuku remembered when he cried like this. When he was in Middle School and Katsuki beat him up all day, everyday. Izuku remembered being told he couldn't be a hero by All Might. Izuku remembered lying to his parents everyday with a faux smile and hiding his scars. Izuku remembered how he killed his parents. Izuku wailed even more and cried and cried and clutched at his yukata desperately as if a genie would come out of it.

He hated being told to fight people he didn't know, and hated being told what to do, and being told who to follow and how he had to kill and fight and be underestimated. It _hurt. _It was _painful._ He just wanted this to end. He just wanted to die. He hated himself. He hated the world. He hated everything.

Izuku then sobbed till he could no longer force any tears out. He stared at nothing. He felt empty and useless again. His breathing was agitated and he just wanted to go home. He wanted to meet his parents. Tezobi had heard his crying from the bar and she was in utter shock. She had never heard Izuku cry before, and definitely not heard anybody cry in such a disturbingly agonising way. It was taking a toll on her. She rushed to the door of his room and decided to eavesdrop.

Izuku gave a shaky smile to himself and drew his sword. He removed his mask, revealing how exhausted he looked.

"Please… just this once.. Let me go. I beg you. I'm tired.." his voice was aching and shaking. Izuku drew his sword and placed it by his throat. Tezobi's eyes widened when she not only heard his voice shatter but heard the sound of metal being unsheathed.

"_He fucking wouldn't.." _thought Tezobi. She tried to deceive herself. She was in denial and she knew it, but she didn't want to believe that Izuku would kill himself again. She quickly opened the door and saw that Izuku had his own blade to his throat.

"You bastard! Stop!" cried Tezobi, running to him and smacking the sword form his hands. Izuku's face didn't change but his hands dropped to his legs in disappointment. Tezobi observed his face and saw how tear-stained it was. This wasn't right, not right at all. She shook her head.

"How.." she hesitated and stopped her tears from flowing. "How could you..! Why the fuck would you do that? Talk to me, damnit! Stop doing this to yourself. Don't you care what will happen to you? How will that make me feel, huh?" Izuku said nothing.

"Leave me alone.." he whispered, but Tezobi could hear it. She didn't like prying but she cared for Izuku so much. She felt like she was being stabbed in the chest when she saw Izuku in such a state. But she nodded to Izuku and stood at the door and said, "I'm taking this sword from you so that you don't try anything again. You will only get it tomorrow. We have a mission. We are going to invade a training camp. Be careful, Faceless."

The door shut loudly and he heard distant footsteps until he heard nothing but the deafening silence. Izuku truly did not want to do anything but sleep and never wake up. He knew it was not possible, but he could always hope.

"_Maybe one day." _thought Izuku. He then went into a sleep full of tranquility until Bakugou's face abruptly appeared in his mind, then it disappeared.

Are we at true peace once we're dead?


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter nineteen - **_What happens once will happen twice and happen thrice_

"You know the drill." said Aizawa bluntly. "Put on your seatbelts and keep the noise level down."

The class complied with about 98% of what Aizawa said because the second they put the seatbelts in, the coach roared with chatter and laughter. Though, a few were quiet.

"Wah! I love coach trips!" shouted Mina from across the coach. She was always beaming with energy that others couldn't help but smile around her.

"I like coaches but I'm kinda nervous for the training itself." chuckled Uraraka, rubbing the back of her neck.

"You're always so nervous Ochaco-chan." commented Tsuyu with a poker face. In a different area of the coach, Kirishima was teasing Bakugou about whether or not he would be allowed to go to an onsen or not.

"Shut up, Kirishima! Of course I am! Who do you take me for?!" shouted Bakugou, making explosions in his hands. Bakugou really trusted Kirishima, despite the default aggressive attitude he had. But that didn't matter because the class had gotten used to it and Kirishima already knew that they were friends.

Todoroki was quietly sitting by a window, thankful that he was no longer trapped in the hands of his abusive father. He'd gladly do anything, to get away from him. Iida, however, was quite solemn but still happy about going on the trip. He had not forgotten about what Izuku had told him back in Hosu and he was still weary about going out. He twiddled his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows in a tense manner. Uraraka picked up on that.

"Iida..what's wrong?" she asked concerned. "What is really wrong? You have been acting nebulous ever since Hosu, but that's kind of to be expected..b-but still…" Iida froze. He did not want to lie to his friend, but he knew about the consequences of speaking of the situation in public.

"I.." he sighed. "I can't. I'm not allowed. I'm sorry, Uraraka. I would if I could." Uraraka looked to the floor, dispirited. But that quickly changed.

"Wait!" that caught Iida's attention. "Maybe you can. We just need to ask Mr. Aizawa and hopefully he lets you!" she now had a determined face that screamed _'I'm not letting this go unless you tell me'_. Iida knew better than to keep declining her queries. He nodded and they spoke casually with each other for the rest of the ride, as so did the class.

"We're here!" shouted Kaminari, punching the air in excitement.

Jirou giggled and said, "Be careful not electrocute yourself, 'kay?" The comment caused the rest of the class to laugh and Aizawa hushed them afterwards. They walked off the coach and observed their surroundings. Most of the class were confused at where they were supposed to go. Until a colorful female hero proclaimed that they had to walk all the way beyond the forest. All of class 1-A were in massive distress, as it took them a total of 8 hours to get to their location and they almost dropped dead on the floor of exhaustion when they had arrived.

Iida and Uraraka walked up to Aizawa, in need of answers.

"Mr. Aizawa..may we have a moment of your time?" asked Iida in a nervous tone. Aizawa turned around and looked at the two students with a look of curiosity and caution.

"Go on." he said.

Uraraka cleared her throat and spoke.

"Well, you see, Iida has been acting a bit strange these days and I know it has something to do with Hosu. But he won't tell me anything! And it's super annoying because I want to help him carry whatever burden he has." she said with a burning look of determination in her eyes.

"Uraraka.." murmured Iida to himself. He didn't know she felt like this. It made him happy and he wanted to tell her.

"So, could you allow him to tell me..? ..Please..?"

Aizawa groaned.

"_Maybe this once. She deserves to know about it, if Iida permits it.."_ thought Aizawa.

"Fine. Nobody else is to know, though." and with that he left to go and supervise his students from afar. Uraraka and Iida were beyond elated and quickly went to a noiseless corridor to their left. Iida's happy mood turned solemn and he glanced at Uraraka. This made Uraraka flinch but was listening attentively.

"I-..you will be highly disappointed by my motives of going to Hosu.. but here it goes.." Iida took a deep breath and explained every detail he could muster into his every word. The villains and vigilantes, the revenge, the place and time - the lot! By the time Iida had finished talking, he felt a weight had been lifted off him, but Uraraka was in a state of confusion, anger and happiness.

"I'm so glad I tol-" he was cut off midway with an angry slap from Uraraka. She looks upset and angry with Iida.

"You could've died, you idiot! Think of how your brother would feel if he knew what you did. Or rather, what you could've done.." she let a few tears escape and Iida felt guilt and was ashamed at his past actions.

"I'm sorry.. Though it won't happen again. I promise that." he said with trust and kindness. Uraraka smiled at him. She liked how Iida fully acknowledged his mistakes and tried to improve himself all the time. But she was still confused.

"But this Faceless guy..why the heck would he save you? Wouldn't it save him time and trouble to kill you, or something?" she asked placing her hand on her chin.

"_The way Iida described him made him sound like the guy who was at the USJ and defeated Bakugou. Crazy stuff, and probably crazy strong too."_ thought Uraraka.

"It would have, yes. But he didn't. He didn't kill Stain or Native either. He could've killed all of us but he didn't. My conclusion is that he still has some good in him. And could still be a good person..!" he said with hope. Truly wanted to believe that Faceless was a good person. What random villain would leave three witnesses alive? It doesn't make sense, unless the villain is somewhat of a good human being.

"A good villain? I think this must be some kind of glitch in the matrix.." replied Uraraka pacing up and down in bewilderment. A good villain? That was unheard of! Didn't villains live for chaos and ruin? So why help? Uraraka had so many questions in her head that she desperately wanted to know. She wanted to meet Faceless.

"Maybe so, Iida. But!" she shouted like a little teacher with her index finger point upwards. "Do not forget that he is a villain."

"Yes, Uraraka-sensei. I won't let my guard down." he said mockingly before they both laughed off the matter and walked to the lunch hall to meet their classmates.

Everyone ate their food, which was prepared already for them, like crazy people. They munched and crunched as though they had been starved. Well they, kind of, were for a few fours. After they ate, they slammed their bodys onto their beds in peace, unbeknownst of the events that were to follow.

Especially a certain blonde.

The next day had come in no time and Izuku didn't want to get up from bed. He let the sun's rays slip onto his face and turn his dulled, green eyes vibrant again. Izuku wasn't tired, he just lay in his cover looking at nothing for about an hour and a half before finally getting up.

"_I wonder what the mission will be today. Hopefully, it's short. I want to go to my room later." _thought Izuku. In his room he could collapse, cry and sleep in his bed without anybody interfering. Most of the time.

He walked into the bar with stagnant steps and his head low. Tomura just glared at him making no comment.

Kurogiri was, as always, shining glasses and observing Tomura.

"_What a poor child. He has seen too much, too fast and too young. Truly unlucky." _thought Kurogiri. He wasn't stone-hearted. He genuinely sympathised with Izuku and knew that he could have been a hero, had the world not been so cruel.

"Good morning, Midoriya." Kurogiri greeted. But, Kurogiri was only met with a small groan and a hand gesture in reply. Izuku sat down on a stool and sat in silence for a few minutes.

Izuku then spoke.

"What's the mission? Tezobi said something yesterday." he said blandly. He said it as though he was bored and had better things to do. Or on the flip side, he was bored and had nothing better to do. This was reality. This was Izuku's reality.

"You are correct. Today, we are invading the _'U.A Quirk Training Camp'_. The location was hidden, but we have our connections." Kurogiri continued. "We are planning on recruiting a boy from class 1-A to join us and I have new recruits to help us attack the camp a little faster. You will meet them later in the evening." Izuku sighed and nodded before laying his head on the counter and looking at the couch that was opposite him.

"_That's where it all started, huh." _thought Izuku. He was recalling the first time he saw Sensei, Tezobi, Kurogiri and Tomura looking at him distastefully for the first time. He recalled the fear and pain that engulfed his heart. He recalled the shatter of his bones and the renching of his soul while he was trained by Tezobi. He recalled beating up Bakugou at the U.S.J and liking it. He recalled saving a boy in Hosu. He..recalled Hades. He recalled everything he had done with the League and the word to describe it all was: _eventful._ But he thought again. What would have happened if he wasn't saved by the League? Would he be reincarnated? Would he have died? Would someone stop him? Would he reconsider his suicide?

What would have happened if he hadn't met All Might on that bitter, fateful day?

Izuku seemed to give off a blank expression on his face while these thoughts were running through his mind. Kurogiri saw this.

"Your face is a masterpiece of perplexity." commented Kurogiri, earning a scoff from Izuku.

"You always have something to say, Kurogiri. I don't know whether that's a good thing or not." replied Izuku. He swiftly jumped off the stool to go to the training room, leaving Tomura and Kurogiri alone again. The silence from before and after Izuku arrived at the bar me was different. Before he came, it was a stiffening, formal silence but after he left, it was more of a solemn but understanding silence.

"Weird little shit, he is." mumbled Tomura, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

Izuku just decided to get ready for the mission he was going to attend later in the evening. He was so absorbed in his hypothetical thoughts he didn't notice Tezobi sitting on a nearby perch. He vented his frustration and hurt and pain onto the practice dummies. As he did this, his eyes gleamed a venomous, glassy, green that would frighten the devil. The way Izuku was punching and kicking the dummies could make a man pity the dummies, even though they had no feelings. Izuku had a strange kind of aura about him. It was, of course, an aura of peril, danger and formidity. But there were aspects of fear, uncertainty, emptiness and indifference. Tezobi could feel this. It was quite strange for her to feel this as everyone she killed and fought before Izuku were either just scary, strong or deadly. Not all these different components that formed Izuku to be Izuku. She watched him drown himself in self-doubt and strength. She clearly didn't hate him. So, why let him wallow in such emotions? Well, it was simple really.

She was no hero. She couldn't comfort or save Izuku. That was just how it more and nothing less. She then glanced at the window, watching the baby blue sky turn itself into a deep, curious lavender. It was kind of like how Izuku was. An untainted blue sky that turned to the side of a deep, unescapable lavender. Tezobi knew why Izuku became like the way he did. She wanted to beat the crap out of this _'Kacchan' _but she knew it wasn't her place to do so.

She was no hero.

Then she got up from her seat and put her hands in her pockets.

"It's time." she said, her eyes white with fury. Izuku stopped training and ran to his room to change into his attire. Tezobi and Izuku went downstairs to the bar, only to see six new members standing in front of him. Like a fingerprint, no two of them were the same.

"Hello, Faceless and Tezobi." said Kurogiri. "This is abrupt but these are the new members and I'd like the introductions to be brief." Kurogiri said this to Izuku, knowing good and well that Izuku would probably not say much and if anything, probably say nothing.

Izuku stood facing the six of them, motionless.

"The name's Dabi." said a man with purple scars embroidering his pale skin. His eyes had a luminous kind of green to them. One he had seen before. His was hair spiky and pitch black.

Next came a girl with blonde hair, who darted to Izuku at top speed with a knife.

"Toga! Toga Himiko, that's me..Your mask and clothes would look better if they were painted with blood..!" Izuku, who made it look like childsplay, just dodged her, not touching her or giving her any mind at all. She pouted and her cheeks were flushed a bright pink. Izuku was getting annoyed. The new members present were impressed at his speed. The next man looked like a magician and held and cane in one hand and two glassy marbles in the other. He also wore a mask and purple, dramatic attire.

"'Tis but a pleasure to finally meet you, Faceless. My name is Compress and I hope we work well together." said the dapper man, bowing. Next came a large..woman? She wore glasses and an open shirt on top of a white shirt.

"Hello!" she boomed. "Magne's my name." Kurogiri was getting impatient and tapped his wrist as if to say _'time is ticking'_. The next man- well he wasn't a man, but a lizard! Or a reptile, of some sort. He looked a bit like Stain and wore an excessive amount of blades and bandanas.

"_How obnoxious." _thought Izuku. The man just said 'Spinner', so everyone assumed it was his name. The last man spread an unnerving, cruel grin across his entire face and had menacing eyes and a hunk of a body.

"Muscular is my name. And enough of the fucking introductions! Let's fight already. Let me kill!" said the brutey blonde. Izuku thought he looked like a larger Bakugou. Tomura got up and chuckled in the most twisted way possible.

"Kurogiri! The portal, let's move along, shall we?"

"Understood." and with that they all stepped into a portal and ended up in the forest. Tezobi and Tomura stayed with Kurogiri and caused further fear and destruction, Muscular and Izuku were paired and were sent to a huge slab of stone, next a mountainous stone feature. Dabi and Toga were separated. Toga went to look for potential students to suck blood from. Dabi calmy set fire to a tree and let it spread throughout the forest. His blue flames engulfed a good half of the entire forest, burning them to nothing but dust and ashes. The flames were extremely hot and would kill instantly. Teachers and students alike could smell and sense the danger around them.

"This smell.." Tsuyu said looking up at the sky, only to see a mass of black smoke. "A fire! Mr. Aizawa!" She shouted for the teachers, but they had their hands full already dealing with villains.

"Shit.." said Aizawa, under his breath. The whole forest was lit up in flames, higher ranked villains were destroying the place. The Wild, Wild Pussycats were being beat into a pulp and Magne and Spinner were the main culprits. Students were defending themselves. They used the expert training they received during their time at the camp and U.A in general. Bakugou was defeating different villains left right and centre, while others fought back and defended each other.

Uraraka and Tsuyu were defending and running away until they were in a more secluded part of the forest. They caught their breath before looking for a plan.

"We should stick together and any villains that we see, we should judge whether or not we should run or fight against them. It will be better that way." suggested Uraraka. Tsuyu nodded in agreement. They were about to proceed to a different location until they saw Toga walk up to them. From their perspectives, she looked like a schoolgirl that was a little bit older than them. Tsuyu thought she might be from class 1-B, so she walked towards her. Toga gave a wicked smile.

"Hello!" Toga said happily and darted to Tsuyu at a fast speed and cutting Tsuyu's tongue. Uraraka immediately went to her friend's aid.

"Tsu-chan!" cried Uraraka.

"Uraraka, are you okay? I'm not that badly hurt but I can't move my tongue so well.." replied Tsuyu.

"Tsu-chan..Tsu-chan..Tsu-chan!" repeated Toga, who had pink flushed cheeks and a childish tone in her voice. "How cute.."

Tsuyu and Uraraka got up and used hand-to-hand combat and their own speed to fight against Toga. They tried to defeat her but that wasn't very successful. They didn't land any hits on her but they knocked her out onto the floor.

She was unconscious and that was enough to satisfy the two girls. They ran to regroup with their class or the teachers.

"Faceless is probably somewhere here.." whispered Aizawa to himself as he fought Dabi. They acknowledged each other's strength, neither opponent underestimated the other.

Each of the members of the League were fighting their own respective person. But Muscular and Izuku were walking on the stone cliff.

Muscular was getting restless.

"Who am I gonna kill?! Fuck! Nobody is here!" screeched Muscular but Izuku ignored him. Izuku knew that in terms of brute strength, the blonde brute was at the advantage but he kept his guard up. Then, a small child with a red hat and horns was seen, all alone in a cold and dull area.

"_He's afraid. A fool would see that."_ thought Izuku. Izuku was partnered with a fool. This fool, however did not care for anyone and only cared for slaughter.

"Hey, kid!" said Muscular, in an intimidating tone. "What are you doing all alone in a place like this? Huh?" The child looked like he would cry and stumble at any moment. Which he, of course, did. He was only a kid, after all.

"Doesn't matter! Haha, you're going to die today!" shouted Muscular. The child was frozen in fear and only produced agitated breathed and widened eyes.

"_M-Mommy..Daddy.. No.." _thought the boy.

To both Muscular's and the child's surprise, Izuku intervened and drew his blade near one of Muscular's vulnerable, exposed veins.

"_Shit. I didn't even see that brat." _thought Muscular. He refused to let a kid stop him from killing.

"Oi! Faceless, you piece of shit! Don't get in my fucking way..you know what.. I'll kill you first!" roared Muscular.

"I-Is that how you killed Mommy and D-Daddy…? V-Villain..!" meekly said the child. Muscular paused then faced the child.

"The WaterHose Duo? They just tried to stop me from killing someone. When I kill, I do it because I want to, so no hard feelings to them. They died because they couldn't put their money where their mouth was!" said Muscular. He forgot Izuku and ran to the child and was about to kill him, then Izuku again intervened by cutting off Musculars left arm. Muscular was in shock for three seconds before emitting a blood-thirsty, angry, loud growl that frightened the child.

"Fuck off! Stop being a little bitch and wait your damn turn, damnit!" screeched Muscular.

Izuku leaped from where he was, dodging Muscular's punch and went to the kid.

"Name." was all Izuku said.

"K-K-K-Kota.." stuttered the child. Izuku grunted in response and picked up the kid and put him to one side.

Kota was confused.

"_He saved me? He is a villain, though?" _thought Kota. He was a kid but he was shocked as well. Izuku slashed and cut and brusised and severed muscular for about 30 minutes until muscular was finally dead.

"_Revolting. To kill a child, you are no longer considered human in my eyes."_

It was so brutal. It was brutal and bloody..and Kota was watching. Izuku cleaned himself off as best as he could and sheathed his sword and walked up to Kota. He squeezed his eyes shut and waiting to be killed. Instead, he was met with a warm embrace. Kota felt Izuku's warmth and hugged him back.

After they hugged, Izuku jumped and leapt about the forest to bring Kota back to the teachers and the other students. Aizawa and Bakugou happened to be there.

"Faceless!" cried Kota, loud enough for everyone to hear. It made Aizawa immediately turn around when he heard that name. Izuku stopped in his tracks. "Thank you! And.."

Kota tilted his head to the side and gave a bright smile.

"You're my hero!"

"_Eh?" _thought Aizawa._ "Hero? Faceless? Well..shit. What happened between those two for Kota, of all people to say that?" _Aizawa was fully aware of the reason behind why Kota hated heros, so when he said that..Faceless suddenly wasn't AS bad as he was depicted.

Izuku turned around slowly and sighed and audible sigh.

"I'm no hero, Kota." said Izuku. That amazed Aizawa. It was the first time hearing his voice and he truly sounded like one of the students. It was awfully heartaching to see a young villain like that. But what had happened, for Faceless to speak at all? It was known between heroes and police that Faceless was a man of few words, hell, maybe no words at all!

Izuku darted into the forest and his heart was beating faster and faster. He didn't know what to think..he was a villain..yet he had saved three people in his time now. It wasn't right. But.. he was so caught up in his feelings that he just got blasted in the face by none other than Bakugou.

All weak emotions within Izuku disappeared. It was substituted with pent up anger and a heavy feeling of vacancy.

"Samurai bastard! Not so strong are we, huh?!" growled Bakugou.

Izuku quickly got up and dusted himself off like it was nothing and walked normally in the other direction, as if bakugou wasn't there.

"_Kacchan..you never change. I know how to wind you up too. However, I'm no longer in a vengeful mood. It's whatever.." _thought Izuku. He could hear distant large explosions coming his way and all Izuku did was simply dodge them and met with Kurogiri and the other members.

"Thought you'd never arrive, brat. Hurry and get in." commanded Tezobi. Izuku walked towards the warp gate and before stepping in he heard an angry sound.

"And let's not forget the guest of honour." commented Kurogiri, making a warp gate in front of the explosive teen, which he unintentionally stepped into. Bakugou started cursing and at that exact moment, Vlad King and Kirishima saw Bakugou being put in the warp gate along with the villains.

Kirishima, suddenly, was flooded with rage and upset when he saw Bakugou being kidnapped.

"Bakugo! Fuck Fuck FUCK!" he shouted and cried. Bakugou was a friend of his that he truly cherished. Sure, it took a little digging to find the gold but it was worth it, in the end. Kirishima saw a Bakugou that others often didn't and that made Kirishima feel so lucky. He found the gold, only for it to be taken from him. His precious friend being taken by none other than _'Samurai bastard'_. Vlad King had to remain professional in front of a panicking student. However, inside, he was a mess.

"_This is a joke, right? Of course not! They took a damn student! How could I have let that happen?! I'm a disappointment as a hero and a teacher." _thought Vlad King.

"Kirishima, please get up. We will absolutely get Bakugou back. That is something I will swear upon." said Vlad King. He was acting so noble and strong but he didn't even know if he would be able to fulfill that promise.

It took a while, but Kirishima finally got up and walked in silence beside Vlad King. When they got back, all the students were sad, depressed and felt weak. Feelings that people didn't like feeling, especially heroes. That just added to Vlad King's and Kirishima's sadness.

Aizawa got off the phone with somebody.

"What was the call about?" asked Vlad King. He was panic stricken and needed to a distraction.

"I want Nezu to schedule a meeting about what happened today. Mainly Faceless. It turns out he wanted to as well." replied Aizawa in a bland tone. Vlad King slightly flinched at the name.

"I see. W-Well..Bakugou was kidnapped. By the villains.." stated Vlad King. It took Aizawa a few seconds to process those words.

"Come again?" his words were like a white piece of paper being slowly dipped into red paint.

"You heard correctly, Aizawa. There's no light way to put it. I know I'm a failure and I-" he was cut off when Aizawa created a hard cracked opening in the floor below him. He knew getting angry at Vlad King would not solve any problems. But..he couldn't help it. He felt responsible. It was his student.

"I'm truly sorry. But we will rescue Bakugou. I swear on that." repeated Vlad King. "I'm attending the meeting tomorrow. Good night and I'm sorry." Vlad King went to tell the other teachers about the kidnapping and the meeting with Nezu.

Aizawa was disappointed in himself and that he left Bakugou to get captured. But being a hothead about it wouldn't change anything. He knew that. So he thought about something else.

Aizawa put his hands in his pockets then sighed deeply. As if to exhale all his problems away. He remembered again how crestfallen and woeful Faceless sounded when he said _'I'm no hero' _to Kota. It was once again bugging him. Aizawa looked up at the deep, curious lavender sky with his usual expressionless face. He was a slave to logic and simplicity.

"Faceless..Truly the masterpiece of perplexity." said Aizawa to himself before going inside as well. "But a problem child, nonetheless."

Sometimes people don't necessarily change, but their mask starts to fall off.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter twenty - **_I was once led over yonder…_

There was a serious wave of anguish that had rushed through the entire room of teachers, during the meeting Nezu was holding. The events that happened at the Quirk Training Camp were brutal and knocked down their confidence and the school's U.A reliability was descending.

"The school is under a lot of pressure, due to the kidnapping of Bakugou Katsuki. The injuries sustained during the disastrous trauma were not serious but caused multiple students psychological shock and a few of them have minor cases of paranoia." said Nezu in a distraught tone. He, for one, was absolutely devastated when he learned that the villains had broken into the camp, students and teachers were injured and to top it off, a top student had been captured! Nezu would make sure it was the last time a situation went down hill like that again.

"Do we know why he was kidnapped? We know it was the League of Villains, but do we know the reason why it had to be Bakugou?" asked Present Mic.

"Yes, Yamada's got a point." interfered Vlad King. "The villains could have chosen a stronger student, but they didn't." All the teachers nodded. There was Todoroki Shoto, Itsuka Kendo and Kirishima Eijirou. So, why Bakugou? All Might said nothing but hated himself for letting this happen.

"My guess is because of Bakugou's personality." sad Nezu. "As you know, Bakugou has an aggressive character, degrading judgement and a potent quirk. The League saw this and thought he'd be a perfect addition."

"As much as Bakugou wants to be a hero, that deduction does make a lot of sense." commented Midnight.

All the teachers were discussing the kidnapping in full detail but All Might still hadn't gotten his head around the fact that his student was missing.

"_How can they all just speak about it so freely and casually? What if he never comes back? What if when we see him again, he has renounced us? No, no..I must have faith in him. He wouldn't submit so easily.." _thought All Might, who was so clearly troubled that he looked down to his feet and sighed.

"All Might." said Aizawa. "Do you have any input you'd like to tell us?" He saw how troubled All Might was and decided that he'd probably feel better if he spoke out loud.

"I-I.." stuttered All Might. "Young Bakugou..I don't think he will become a villain when we see him next, but how will we save him? We don't know where the hideout is and there could be a reason Bakugou was able to be captured so close up. He must have been following someone or being followed for him to get captured.." Aizawa's eyes had opened. He hadn't thought of it like that.

"Indeed. Had Bakugou been around the teachers or classmates, we would have been able to see who took him and who he was following or being followed by."

"Nezu." Naomasa raised his hand. "I have news regarding the hideout, but I'll wait to the end."

Immediately, the room was shaken with words of triumph and hope but some of uneasiness and skepticism. They were going to go into the League and break in.

"I see. Thank you." Nezu glanced over to Aizawa, who also had his hand up. "Yes?"

"Nezu, I have news regarding the villain Faceless. It is pleasant news." said Aizawa in an unchanging tone. All Might shifted in his seat at the name and was dying to know what it was about. Naomasa sat up straight and listened eagerly.

"A villain by the name of 'Muscular' was about to kill Kota. Please keep in mind, throughout my explanation, that Muscular killed multiple heros, including the WaterHose Due. Those were Kota's parents. Now, Kota was about to be killed until Faceless intervened by severing off Muscular's arm and severely injuring him to the point of death. Afterwards, Kota told me Faceless wiped himself as clean as he could in order not to scare him and walked up to him and hugged him warmly. He then carried Kota back to me and a few other students then left." said Aizawa. The room fell silent and 101 questions were flowing into everyone's mind. Many teachers found it noble of Izuku to save someone and not care for attention. Naomasa got up from his seat in disbelief and joy with his mouth agape while All Might had a new look of ambition on his face.

"_I will save you, Young Midoriya." _thought All Might.

"Wait, isn't this the villain who saved Iida and Native from Stain?" commented Present Mic. Many _'That's true..' _and _'Oh, yeah'_'s could be heard across the room and that only fueled All Might look of happiness.

"We could make him a hero! There's a chance..I know it." shouted All Might. Many teachers were interested in what he was saying but a few were not so enthusiastic.

"Faceless might have some morals, sure. That doesn't mean we can suddenly flip the switch and make him a hero. He has killed and committed crimes, you know." said one hero. Many teachers nodded. But what Naomasa said next changed the opinions.

"Hell, even if we did make him a hero, what would the students at U.A think? The Media? The heroes?" commented Ectoplasm. He raised a good point. It wouldn't just be about the school, but about the school's image and the trust that would become fickle.

"I know many of you are against making villains into heroes, I understand that. However, Faceless is different. He has saved people that he could have easily killed or abandoned. He even killed his allie for a child." teachers looked to each other with guilt painted all over. All Might was nodding his head like a bobbing toy. "Faceless had been through alot in his life. A very, very chaotic life that isn't meant to be lived by a full fledged adult, let alone a sixteen year old boy. Look through the documents and dossiers provided and you will understand where I'm coming from."

The teachers murmured amongst themselves and nodded their heads in confirmation. They were horrified by what they saw, and that wasn't even a fraction of what Izuku had truly been through!

"_This just keeps getting worse and worse..no wonder All Might and the Detective were so_ _enthusiastic about the kid."_ thought Aizawa, momentarily glancing the the two.

"It says here that he has killed three adults. You can't atone for murder, so he couldn't be a hero even if he wanted." said Midnight. She didn't know how to feel about Faceless.

Nezu spoke up. "Well, it was all in the name of self-defence. The documents say that Faceless was a quirkless minor approached by three grown quirkarmed men. Faceless was clearly outnumbered. He would need to defend himself."

Midnight nodded and was satisfied with the answer she was given. The discussions of Faceless went on for a bit until it was time to discuss the plan of how to save Bakugou.

"Regarding the rescue, the villains' hideout is located in Kamino." said Naomasa. That caught everyone's undivided attention.

"Here's the plan."

Back at the bar, a certain fuming blonde was at the centre of a group of villains. He was gagged and tied up with restraints like a mad dog. The Izuku didn't like this at all. His mask was off but his facial expression was not enough to show how annoyed and angry he was.

"Tomura." said Izuku in a demanding tone. Tomura sourly looked at Izuku.

"What is it, Samurai shit?" replied Tomura. Spinner, Dabi and Compressed were confused at why he called Izuku that name. Toga thought it was cute. Tezobi and Kurogiri were used to it.

"Was it absolutely necessary to bring this one? You could have taken somebody else, for goodness sake." Tezobi silently agreed with Izuku, as she knew who Bakugou was. She was so angry with him.

Bakugou quietened down a little after seeing Izuku's face and hearing his voice.

"_That Samurai bastard...he has Deku's face and voice but Deku had green hair and bright ass eyes. The shit in front of me has black, long hair and dull eyes. What the fuck is happening. There's no way that's Deku…" _thought Bakugou in confusion.

Tomura scratched at his neck in irritance. "Oi..don't fucking question me, you piece of shit. You'd still be sad over All Might if it wasn't for me." Izuku placed his hand on the handle of his sword with a daring look in his eyes.

"Care to repeat that, Handy Manny?" retorted Izuku. Tezobi just shook her head in disappointment. Dabi coughed on the smoke of his cigarette and chuckled.

"Shit." chuckled Dabi. "This is great entertainment."

Both Tomura and Izuku glared at Dabi, shutting him up. Bakugou was beyond confused.

"Faceless!" screeched Toga in excitement as she jumped near Izuku.

"_So, the fucker's name is Faceless." _thought Bakugou.

Izuku stayed in his place and held a deadpan expression. Most boys his age with blush and start getting feverish just at the sight of a girl. Izuku was not easily seduced. Maybe he was immune to seduction as a whole. He had seen Tezobi and Tomura naked. He wasn't getting giddy anytime soon.

"You look so good when you're about to kill...Please let me touch that face of yours with my pretty knife..!" she said flirtatiously. Tezobi was getting irritated with Toga while Bakugou, Spinner and Magne were creeped out. Compress wasn't even facing them.

"So strange." was all Izuku said before nonchalantly sitting on the couch with his fist rested on his cheek. Tomura got up from his seat and walked towards Bakugou, who now had a dangerous fire in his eyes. This amused Tomura. He unfastened and removed the binding on Bakugou carefully and took a step back from him.

"_Son of a bitch.." _thought Izuku, eyeing Bakugou. Izuku hated how Bakugou got everything he wanted, all because of this quirk. Bakugou rubbed his sore wrists and joints in quite a surprisingly calm way before punching Tomura to the floor.

Everyone was astonished at what they saw and did not dare to make a sound, but they were all scared of what would happen next.

"_Fuck.." _thought Tomura as he got up to get the hand of his Father. That made both Kurogiri and Tezobi flinch. Izuku was still, as he knew Tomura wouldn't kill Bakugou.

"Tomura, he's just a ki-" Tezobi was cut off when she saw Tomura peacefully get up and walk back up to Bakugou, who was in full raging mode.

"You fucking villains think I'll side with your weak asses, ha?!" shouted Bakugou. "Don't make me laugh. You lot were so desperate, that you kidnapped a kid! That's low as fuck!" This made Magne angry but she compressed her emotions. Everyone burned glares onto Bakugou's body except Izuku, who was trying his best to stay calm and not attack Bakugou.

That was the boy who started all this. That was the boy who tore him down. Bakugou had chewed Izuku when he needed him and spat him out when he found out that he was 'useless'. Izuku regarded Bakugou with disgust and utterly loathed him. While Izuku wasn't facing Bakugou, his demonic aura didn't go unnoticed.

"And you, Faceless bastard! I'll kill you and hurt you so bad that you'll never walk again, so don't think that you're so strong!" screamed Bakugou. He was practically a depressed version of Deku, in Bakugou's eyes and that made his blood boil. He hated everything to do with Deku. Everyone turned to face Izuku, who was now chuckling. That sent deadly chills down everyone's spines and made Bakugou cringe with rage.

"_It's kinda funny because I don't know if it's because of my 'Make Believe' quirk, but I have the feeling something bad will happen in a few seconds. My guess is probably the authorities, who came to collect their loud-mouthed rising star." _thought Izuku sarcastically. Bakugou was about to walk up to Izuku until..

"Kamino Pizza here, please open the door." said a young adult's muffled voice from the door. Simultaneously, Kurogiri and Compress looked to the door in confusion while Izuku scoffed.

"It's about damn time." said Izuku, not even looking at the door. Only then did everyone understand what he meant. But it was too late!

The wall behind Spinner was blasted through with a large wave of strength. Bricks and cement blocks were flying across the room and an assembly of heros and police were stood before them. Izuku quickly put on his mask but made no attempt to escape. He was exhausted and rested on the couch watching all the destruction take place. Bakugou proudly nodded his head and gave a smirk before walking to the heroes.

"Villains! You have underestimated my rage and my student's unwavering loyalty!" boomed All Might. He was glad to see Bakugou safe and sound but was looking for Izuku as well.

"Kurogiri! Portal!" Tomura bellowed to the mystic villain. Kurogiri tried to do this but was rendered unconscious by Edgeshot. Dabi was stopped by Kamui Woods, funnily enough, and All Might captured the rest of the villains. But that was short-lived when a certain man walked out of the building. A man in a black suit and tie with a mask covering his head. The aura was heavy and made Izuku white in the face. Tomura smiled in delight.

"_No, no, no...it's Sensei, isn't it. Shit.." _thought Izuku. He was shivering in fear.

He felt sick the the stomach and wanted to throw up. He kept it in. Best Jeanist foolishly attempted to fight All for One and failed. He was quickly tossed to the side like a piece of trash and walked towards his fellow members. He forced Kurogiri's quirk to activate and made everyone get in the portal, Izuku lazily got up and walked towards it but Gran Torino snatched Izuku away in the nick of time.

"Gotcha." said Gran Torino. Izuku was being passive and let himself get caught, much to All Might and Grand Torino's surprise.

"_What's wrong with this kid? He didn't retaliate or nothing..something's not right but it ain't my place to be nosy." _ thought Gran Torino.

"Congratulations." whispered Izuku with a faint smile, which nobody could see because of his mask. He was put in the back of a police van and had quirk-suppressing handcuffs on. They didn't know that the cuffs were useless because Izuku was 'quirkless'. All Might was overjoyed that Izuku was found and now in the safe hands of the heros.

All Might and All for One fought a battle for the ages for their allies. It was nit for nat, eye for eye, tooth for tooth and blow for blow. The fight went on for quite a while, but resulted in All Might's favour. All for One was immediately put in a heavily guarded car and knocked unconscious. He was put in a straight jacket and blindfolded, though that was unnecessary. The whole fight was recorded and broadcast to the whole of Japan, and maybe even the world.

Izuku was unlucky not to see any of it, but he didn't care anymore. He had had enough of being commanded and stopped and controlled, like he was some avatar in a game or a marionette. Though he didn't particularly care about being told what to do. For all he cared, he could be thrown into Tartarus along with Sensei and he'd be fine with it. Being dead was better than living. Izuku longed for the bliss of eternal sleep that would not be awoken. He tried his best not to think about anything and just clear his mind. It was the only thing he could do.

What is the difference between a kidnapping and a rescue?


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter twenty-one - **_Lay bare the Confidence._

Izuku's wrists were cuffed tightly to a cold, metal desk and his ankles were cuffed to the floor below him. He was in a small, white-walled room that he guessed was for questioning. There were guards outside the room and cameras positioned at each corner of the ceiling. Izuku was unfazed, though. He just stared blankly at the desk.

"_I'm not sure what kind of fiasco they were expecting, binding me up like this.." _Izuku thought. Izuku had been waiting in the room for about twenty minutes and he had his sword taken from him. He really disliked his belongings being touched or tampered with. Then the door clicked open, revealing a tall man with short black hair and a black suit and green tie.

"_He took his sweet time."_ thought Izuku. He was very bored and tired and just wanted to disappear from the face of the earth. He wished to be like the birds in the sky, who flew wherever they wished. He wished to be an insect, insignificant and unbothered. He prayed that, for once, Bakugou would just storm in here and throw him off some tall building. Oh, how he wished to be just another stone in the path..

"Faceless, a villain and a member of the League of Villains. You joined a year ago and is suspected to be Izuku Midoriya. Am I correct or not?" said Naomasa. He had working on Izuku's documents, closed case, dossier and files. Naomasa wouldn't go through all the trouble for some random criminal. He saw sheds of light in the boy in front of him that refused to dim down, no matter how much darkness is surrounding it.

Izuku said nothing. He wasn't exactly surprised that they found out who he was. All it took was a smart person to connect the dots of the puzzle; nothing special, nothing out of the ordinary. So, why was this Detective so eager to speak?

"_He won't even reply to me, huh."_ thought Naomasa. With everyone else he worked with, the replies he received, though short and blunt, were replies nonetheless. But this kid that he was losing sleep over didn't even make a peep? That was a load of crap.

"It is my right, as a detective and member of the police, to see the person I'm interrogating, so, I will proceed to remove your mask." said Naomasa with a slight shake in his voice. He, and nobody else had seen what Izuku's face looked like, what was he going to expect? "Pardon me…"

"_No...please don't.." _thought Izuku in a worried way. Nowadays, he felt very peculiar about people seeing his face as it was always hidden by his featureless mask. He would feel guilty about not wearing the mask as that was the face that killed his parents. Almost as if taking off the mask would be a sign of _'letting the guilt and pain and responsibility go'_. Izuku, however, had no real authentic emotion in him. That had been taken away from him. Like a punishment. Not like he wanted them back, though.

"_Wonder what Faceless will look like, I'm suddenl-" _Naomasa thoughts were cut off half way as he was removing Izuku's mask. When the mask was taken off, Naomasa saw a boy with an innocent, feminine face, that was was nicely shaped by his long black hair. His big eyes were like a dulled green lake that sat on his pale skin. His cheeks were slightly sunken and he had lilac eyebags. Izuku's face, as a whole, was a face of innocent disaster and misery. Izuku's eyes were blankly cast down at the cold, steel table below him and he sat there motionless.

"_Shit. I was not expecting this." _thought Naomasa. He truly did not expect to see such a bewildering face! What on earth had happened to the boy with frilly green hair and eyes gleaming with joy and youth? It was like that boy had been cast away and instead was replaced by..Faceless. Naomasa's mouth was slightly gawked but he quickly regained his composure.

"I-I'll start off with the basics. Is your name Midoriya Izuku?" Naomasa could see how empty and uncaring Izuku looked, so he tried his best to get an answer out of Izuku without using physical force or threats. But that didn't mean Izuku would get special treatment. Naomasa would do what he needed to do.

"Look, kid, considering how many murders you have committed and your connection to the League, I could easily get you thrown into Tartarus." said Naomasa in a demanding tone. This made Izuku scoff.

"_Tartarus, huh. Wonder what it's like in there."_ casually thought Izuku. He didn't care whether he received the death penalty or received torture or being thrown into a prison. He just wanted to get the damn interview over with. He wasn't in the mood for talking but Izuku knew that the quicker he answered, the quicker it'd be over.

Naomasa was shocked at Izuku's uncompassionate.

"_He's, what, 16? Doesn't he care whether or not he goes to Tartarus? Or killed? There must be some things I don't know about him.."_ thought Naomasa.

"I'll humour you. Ask away." said Izuku, in a deadpan tone. He had a slight smirk on his face that didn't go unnoticed. Upon hearing Izuku voice, Naomasa jumped a bit in his seat. He sounded so _young_ and so _damaged._ Some would say Naomasa was disgusted and quite perturb at how utterly broken Izuku was. Surprise after surprise after surprise! Though, Naomasa was shocked over and over, he needed to remember that Izuku was dangerous and a member of the League that needed to be interviewed.

"Thank you for the cooperation. So, let's get this out of the way. Are you Midoriya Izuku?" asked Naomasa. He half hoped that Faceless was Midoriya. He wanted to ask so much, but trust builds over time.

"Yes." said Izuku bluntly. Naomasa nodded and was glad at Izuku's progress.

"What activities did you perform with the League?"

"Analysis and physical tasks." said Izuku vaguely. It wasn't like Izuku was lying; he just wasn't giving detail. He knew that Naomasa's quirk _'Lie Detector'_ was active and it was be an embarrassment to lie.

"That's pretty vague, Midoriya. Do you have any details?" asked Naomasa. He noticed how Izuku wasn't giving very specific answers. Was he covering for the League? That was possible, but that led to another question.

"Were you part of the League by your own will?" Naomasa gulped whilst he was asking that.

"_I mean, I was but I wasn't. Doesn't matter now, though. I'll probably be thrown in some cell later." _thought Izuku. What difference does using force make if the outcome would be the same either way? Izuku has killed people before. Whether or not he was forced would be irrelevant. At the end of the day, dead men tell no tales.

"No comment." was all Izuku said before quietly sighing.

"_Wait a fucking second. That wasn't a no. That means he could have potentially been forced to work with the League. That would lighten up his sentence for sure." _optimistically thought Naomasa. He was happy that he thought Izuku wouldn't be jailed for long but what use would the League have for a quirkless, teenage boy? It's like carrying dead weight around.

"Have you-" Naomasa was going to ask another question, but Izuku yawned instead. Small tears were blinked away when he yawned and his eyes were fluttering in weary.

"_Of course, he's tired. He was with the League a few hours ago, who knows what the kid's sleeping patterns were? Not mention, he is still just a kid." _thought Naomasa. He gave a pleasant smile to Izuku for a few seconds before undoing his cuffs.

"You'll be escorted to a cell. You look really tired, it's probably for the best." chuckled Naomasa as he was taking off Izuku's ankle cuffs.

"Escorted, huh. Fancy word you said there." said Izuku rubbing his wrists. "Then, pardon the intrusion." Izuku was then held firmly by the arms by a chunky looking guard and taken to a cell. Once Izuku was out of sight, Naomasa sat down and gulped own a glass of water in one go.

"_I just spoke to Faceless. Too damn surreal."_ thought Naomasa shaking his head in a light-hearted manner. He rubbed his temples. Then he got quite concerned. _"What were those bandages on his forearms for, though?"_

"Thank you for answering the questions, Bakugou. You were a huge help." said an interviewer.

"Whatever." said Bakugou before stomping off somewhere else with his hands in his pockets. He still hadn't gotten over how similar Faceless and Deku were. The contrast was so great but they looked so very similar! Like night from day, yin from yang and good from bad. But Bakugou did not like thinking about Deku and how similar he was to the villain that defeated him. Deku was probably lost in some ditch somewhere. Good riddance, right? The thought of the useless boy angered him. It irked him. He unintentionally set off his quirk and burnt the pockets of his trousers. He cursed under his breath and walked into his classroom with a pissed off look.

Immediately, the class looked at Bakugou and a number of them gave looks of happiness because they saw that he was okay. The rest of them that didn't _look_ happy just nodded their heads.

Kirishima ran towards Bakugou in euphoria.

"Bakubro! Dude, you were so brave against the villains! I bet they were scared as stiff!" shouted Kirishima, putting his arm around Bakugou's shoulders and grinning. Kirishima's voice sounded so genuinely happy that not even Bakugou himself could say anything but growl under his breath.

"Bakugou, of course, you were strong as usual, but why did the villains take you? They could have taken anybody else." commented Sero. He didn't mean it in an insulting way, he was just confused.

"Hah?! Wanna die, Flat-face?" said Bakugou in a hoarse tone. "Of course they chose me because of my strength and quirk. I'm the strongest in this damn class!"

"Uh..Bakugou..I don't know if that's something to be proud of..!" said Kaminari in a nervous chuckle and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Whatever! I finally got a hit on that Faceless bastard! Next time, I'll kill him." said Bakugou in a more serious but angry tone. He did not like being beaten in anything. It made him feel weak, and just the thought of weakness nagging in his body made him cringe in vexation.

Uraraka and Iida froze in their places at the sound of 'Faceless'. They both exchanged looks and listened in on what Bakugou was going to say. They needed all the information they could get.

"_Bakugou met Faceless? Well, he is with the League..but that's too coincidental." _thought Uraraka.

"Faceless? Do you mean-" Kirishima was cut off.

"'_Samurai bastard!'_" finished off Mina, mimicking Bakugou. Bakugou unintentionally started to ramble on and on about how Izuku looked, Izuku's villain name and his strength. Of course, he explained all of this with his normal brutal remarks and insults. People from across his classroom were listening accordingly to what Bakugou was ranting about, as he usually never spoke about anyone for such an extended amount of time. Many people from around the room slowly started to realise the person that Bakugou was describing, was the guy that put Bakugou in the infirmary after the U.S.J.

Iida's eyes widened.

"_If he was able to do that..then Faceless wasn't at his full extent of power at Hosu! How strong is this guy..?" _he thought.

"_How powerful is this 'Faceless' villain that he swiftly beat up Bakugou and dusted off his explosions like nothing? It's kind of intriguing, but I don't have time to wonder about villains. I'm already dealing with one that happens to be my father.." _thought Todoroki.

Aizawa walked into the classroom, looking around at the class and heard talk of Faceless. He then switched his glare to Iida and Uraraka, suspecting that they spoke of Hosu out loud. He then shook his head.

"_They wouldn't. But Bakugou probably did, knowing him. How irritating." _thought Aizawa.

"Class. Settle down and get into your seats." said Aizawa in a deep, tired tone. The class ended their conversations and sat back down immediately, to begin their class. He hoped new information of Faceless would be brought to his ears, but that was for another time. Right now, he needed to teach.

Izuku, still in his villain costume, layed down on his back on the cold surface of the stiff slab that some called a 'mattress'. He lazily put his hands behind his head and moved his feet at the end of his bed in small movements, singing a little tune to himself. A happy little tune in a dead as a corpse tone and a vacant expression plastered on his face.

"_You will get a sentimental feeling when you hear,_

_Voices singing let's be jolly.._

_Deck the halls with boughs of Holly.." _

How ironic.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter twenty-two** **\- **_The new old-fashioned way_

"That's what I got from Midoriya." said Naomasa. He had just finished sharing the answers he got from the interview with Izuku to the rest of the congregation. He hadn't told them about his face, funnily enough, as that would come later. He told them everything he got from Izuku and the reaction he got was quite shocking. Many teachers rubbed their temples and furrowed their eyebrows. Some nodded, as if they had been expecting this. The remainder just didn't say anything. It was ultimately shocking that when the young villain was threatened with Tartarus, he scoffed! Some may have thought Izuku was bluffing or being an idiot, some thought he had seen it all. Everyone was deep in their own opinions and thoughts. But All Might..All Might was close to tears. Aizawa wanted more answers.

"Hm. I see. Thank you for that, Detective." said Nezu. He was contemplating about something that would yield a mass of controversy.

"_I could enroll the kid..I could. But I need to hear more… or at least have a reason to let him here." _thought Nezu.

Naomasa was debating whether or not to talk about the bandages on Izuku's arms. Was it trivial? Was it vital? Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. Better safe than sorry, goes the saying.

"Another thing.." said Naomasa. Nezu listened carefully. "I don't know whether or not this is important but as Midoriya was leaving, I saw bandages bound around both of his forearms. As in, the whole of his forearms. I don't what they are and I would personally like to know."

"_Bandages..that's true. He always had them on every time I saw him. What ever could they mean? Maybe it's part of the outfit- no.." _thought All Might. He was worried about whether or not they were battle scars from his previous fights or something common like that. All might wasn't completely wrong, though. The scars Izuku had were from the battle of a hard life. Bakugou inflicted them.

"That is true. Maybe they're part of the outfit? Villains do love to be dramatic." said Vlad King. He found Izuku to be quite strange, quite evil and honestly annoying. Why do good if you're a villain? That would just confuse people and warp the ideas of villains and heroes in this society. Heroes are heroes and villains are villains. So, everyone should just stick to their own roles to play.

"While I know only a scarce amount of information on Midoriya," said Aizawa with his legs crossed. "He doesn't seem like the type to do that. He seems like a simple person with simple bandages. Nothing more, nothing less." Oh, how wrong he was.

The teachers discussed amongst themselves until All Might stood up.

"Naomasa.. Could I- we, I mean, go and see Midoriya. We have all been talking about the villain but have never seen his face." said All Might, eagerly. He wanted to rescue the boy from the abyss of depression he was in, so he had to see the boy's face, at least.

Naomasa's eyes enlarged and he cleared his throat. He half wanted to show them Izuku, half didn't. The boy might have a panic attack, throw a fit, attack everyone, cry or just do nothing.. They were all possible scenarios and Naomasa didn't like the sound of any of them.

"_I really don't want to..but I don't have the authority to decided that. Christ.." _thought Naomasa.

"Okay, let's go." said Naomasa reluctantly. All Might looked to Aizawa, who didn't reciprocate the look, but looked ahead in his usual bored expression. The teachers and heroes were discussing amongst themselves what 'Faceless' would look like. Midnight thought that Izuku would have a contorted face and large build. She had never seen or heard Faceless before so her guess was to be expected. She, and everyone else, would be in for a surprise.

Naomasa guided them to the police station and when he approached the large metal door, he clenched the keys in his hands and two beads of sweat were forming from his brow. He just stared at the door and the teachers were getting impatient a little nervous.

"Detective, is there an issue opening the door?" asked Nezu in a friendly tone. "If there is I can-"

"I-I'm fine! I'm okay I can do it." said Naomasa in an almost shouty tone. That made everyone jump with surprise. Nezu frowned at Naomasa's reaction. It wasn't like him to get so agitated. What was the issue with this one villain? Naomasa slowly inserted the keys into the hole and unlocked the door. One could say that Naomasa was like a bird letting its chicks leave the nest. He didn't like it, but he knew it was for the best.

The creak of the door opening shook everyone in anticipation, as they were expecting to look at a large grunt with tattoos and scars. What they saw was flabbergasting. One teacher even dropped to their knees. When Naomasa opened the door, everyone saw Izuku innocently reading a complex novel titled, _'Beyond Good and Evil' _by Friedrich Nietzsche. He sat at the edge of his mattress with his left hand rested on his cheek, so the right side of his face was towards them. It was quite early in the morning, so the light from the sun hit Izuku's face so perfectly that he looked like an angel. In the light, his eyes looked like a luminous soft green and his skin looked like a celestial pale. His black hair looked like obsidian and his lips were still. His legs were crossed and he had a nonchalant expression on his face. He was unfazed by the creak of the door and the silence that came from them.

"What the fuck." exclaimed President Mic, holding his head in disbelief. Aizawa had to squint his eyes to make sure his eyes were working correctly and All Might shook his head like there was no tomorrow. He was responsible for how Izuku had become. He was the one who had robbed Izuku of his smiles and joy. It was all too much.

Nezu just stared at Izuku. Not as if Izuku was an ugly spider at the end of his bed, but like Izuku was some kind of fallen angel..or some kind of tainted diamond. Something clean that had gotten soaked in tar.

"_The world is a cruel place." _thought Nezu before sighing.

"You have some visitors, Midoriya." said Naomasa. He glanced at Izuku's bandages. He really wanted to know the story behind them.

Izuku said nothing but he offhandedly glanced to see the mass of teachers gawking at him and just flipped the page of his book.

"How celestial..are you sure this is Faceless? Detective?" said Midnight in a desperate tone. She was usually the one bewitching people, but Izuku had just bewitched her.

"I can assure you that this is the real deal, Midnight." said Naomasa.

"_Fucking All Might. Are you trying to provoke me, Detective?" _ thought Izuku, he slammed his book closed and though he didn't look at anyone nor say anything, the deadliness of his aura increased rapidly. That made half the teachers back away in fear. Aizawa activated his quirk, he wasn't taking any chances. Izuku smirked and scoffed.

"How foolish." whispered Izuku. President Mic gasped and covered his mouth. Nobody else could hear Izuku's voice because of how quiet he was being but President Mic heard.

"No, man..this is too sad. He sounds like a student that attends high school. A damn high schooler villain! Unbelievable." said President Mic while buoyantly flinging his arms about.

"Eraserhead, your quirk won't work on Midoriya. He's quirkless." said Naomasa. He said Izuku was quirkless before, but nobody seemed to believe it.

"But Faceless kept up with All Might's speed! Surely, that's impossible!" said a hero. Teachers nodded their heads and left strange expressions on their faces. Faceless was a kid. A quirkless one. What kind of mindfuck was that..?

Izuku was becoming a ticking time bomb and was getting irritated at the sight of All Might. He clicked his tongue and glared at the teachers in a venomous manner that caused All Might and Vlad King to flinch in the shoes. Naomasa was unaffected by this. He walked up to Izuku like he was an old friend and plopped himself on Izuku's bed. Kind of like how Tezobi did when he was in the League.

"_He has some nerve.." _thought Izuku.

"Midoriya, what are those bandages? They look quite old and worn." Naomasa burned a stare at Izuku's forearms with curiosity. At first, Izuku didn't want to say anything about them because they weren't anyone's business but his own and maybe Bakugou's. Then he thought again.

"_They are gonna find out one way or another..Lord have mercy on my soul." _Thought Izuku.

Izuku's eyes, for a nanosecond, looked over to Naomasa's with a look of gloom and melancholy, like he was begging to be pulled out of whatever sea of despair he was trapped in. Izuku quickly regained his composure. He was quick with his eyes, but Naomasa was quicker this time around.

"_What a sad, sad kid. I'll help you. I swear on my life, Izuku." _thought Naomasa. He was going to try and do whatever he could to help Izuku.

"Whatever." said Izuku, loud for everyone to hear. He rubbed his forearms and undid the bindings of wrapped cloth from his arms. As he pulled at them, they twirled off his arms and formed a meandering path of thin cloth on the floor. Under the bandages, there were gruesome brown, purple and black scars and burns painted across his forearms like tattoos from a brutal war story. Izuku showed them his scars. Those were burns from Bakugou and he kept them as a momentum from the world to heaven, or hell, when he tried to take his life for the first time before. Sweet, ol' memories, those were.

"Midoriya...what..h-" All Might tried to finish his sentence but found himself letting a tear escape the corner of his eyes in guilt and despondency.

"_Pretty, aren't they." _thought Izuku. Aizawa eyes were burning because of how he hadn't blinked in a minute of staring at Izuku's wounds. There were alot where those came from, too. Nezu had to take a few steps forward to gaze at the height of destruction that had taken refuge on Izuku's arms.

"What monster did this to you, Midoriya…?" said Nezu, thinking aloud. His cheeks were stretched downwards in desolation. "You're still a minor, whoever did this to you. When I find out who ever did this to you. I'll..I'll…" Nezu was boiling with anger, as if Izuku was his student.

"No, you won't. Kacchan did it. Ask 1-A of it." said Midoriya in a hollow laugh. The teachers present were confused at this statement. Didn't this kid want justice? Why 1-A? _'Kacchan'_? Izuku hated the way he was treated in the past but he didn't particularly care about 'justice' anymore. At the end of the day, it was the same old, same old. You can't change the past. That's the bitter truth.

"_I seriously don't like the way Midoriya is talking. He's like a broken lightbulb." _thought Aizawa, crossing his arms.

Then Izuku gave a sickly sweet smile and tilted his head.

"Wanna hear a story?"

"_Is this some sick joke?" _thought one teacher. Nobody said anything but Naomasa and someone else nodded.

"Well, my mother came to me twice in a dream not long after she died. I saw her face but couldn't hear her voice. Now, if she's in my dreams I can hear her voice but I never see her face, just her body and the back or blocked side of her face but never the front." said Izuku with a soft smile. "I've been told the first two dreams were her speaking to me in a language we living aren't allowed to hear. And..I can't see her face in the other dreams because in _'Heaven'_, you're perfect. I daresay with my unworthiest tongue this, but she recently showed me what she looks like now and it's nothing I could ever imagine. Absolutely seraphic."

The room was silent. Nobody knew what to say, or rather whether or not they should say anything at all. It was so..surreal?

All Might coughed because of how much he was croaking, trying to get some words out of his mouth. He couldn't muster anything up.

"Why..why would you share something so precious with us?" said Midnight, who felt like she, herself, would collapse any second.

"Yeah..why.." said Vlad King.

"Think nothing of it. I mean, at some point, Night Eye would probably come to me while I'm sleeping and look into my memories. He'd see what my mother looked like in her angelic form and I'd probably kill him." said Izuku quietly.

Under normal circumstances, the teachers would have threatened him with a lot of horrible things and warnings but in this situation, they did nothing. They kind of understood where Izuku was coming from.

Izuku then rested his knuckles lightly on his chin and slyly looked at the teachers with a small sneer.

"I suggest you all leave now before I break someone." said Izuku softly, side-eyeing All Might. All Might shuddered and hung his head low and gestured everyone to walk out of the cell.

Everyone left the cell, feeling completely different to when they first walked into the cell. Maybe it was a revelation, enlightenment, perhaps? No, no. Izuku was evil. But they couldn't help but sympathise with him. They all walked out but Aizawa just looked at the boy again for a few seconds in bewilderment. That was very uncommon for him.

"Interesting." said Aizawa in a dead tone, then walking out.

Izuku flung himself on his bed and thought about the League. He wondered how things were going, with Sensei in Tartarus and all. Tezobi was probably still being an annoying big sister, Tomura was being a whiny little bitch and Kurogiri was just being Kurogiri. Izuku sighed and put his forearm over his eyes. He truly and honestly didn't care for the League they were none of his business and he didn't give a shit whether or not the organisation dissolved or not. But..Izuku had a strong connection with them and the underworld in general.

Would he rather be in a cell or with them? In a cell or in Hades?

"Take me to Hades..anywhere but here. I feel like something bad will happen and it will involve me.." mumbled Izuku to himself, curling into a ball before drifting off to sleep. Before his eyes shut, a vivid pang of the future was pictured in his mind. It showed him in front of a bunch of people his age and Aizawa next to him.

Shit.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter twenty-three** **\- **_Duality at Fault_

Class 1-A were currently working on their literacy in a productive manner, until someone knocked on the door. Majority of the classroom looked up, including the teacher.

"Come in!" shouted the teacher from the room. Then, emerging from the door, came Nezu.

"Sorry for interrupting the lesson going on, but this is a serious matter." Nezu's face darkened in solemn. This caused the class to whisper amongst themselves in curiosity.

"_Principal Nezu never walks into lessons on such random occasion. Something's up…" _thought Todoroki. He had an expressionless face but was just as eager to listen as the rest of his classmates.

"It regards a villain." said Nezu. Almost immediately, the class started to panic with growing fear and interest of what this was about. The teacher just calmly nodded, as she now knew what this was about. Bakugou caught on to the teacher's look.

"_What the fuck is going on?" _thought Bakugou. He really disliked hearing of any villains, due to how easily he was defeated by one. The inferior sensation he got from losing to Faceless washed over him repeatedly and painted his face into one of annoyance. Kirishima glanced at Bakugou, wondering cluelessly at what Bakugou was so worried about.

"Bakubro, what's up with you? You look pissed." said Kirishima.

"Nothing's wrong with me. Just shut up and let's listen to what the bastard's got to say." said Bakugou with a scowl on his face.

"Ah Bakugou..that's our principal you're talking to, you know..have some respect..!" said Sero scoldingly.

"Wanna die, flat-face? Shut up!" said Bakugou in a hoarse tone. The friendly feud ended briefly and they all listened accordingly.

"The villain 'Faceless' has told us about someone in this class called _'Kacchan'_. Since we clearly already know your full names and Faceless doesn't seem like the type to lie, we have gathered that it is a nickname. Does anyone in this classroom go by the name of Kacchan?" asked Nezu. He had a vague idea of who it could be, but he didn't accuse people without conviction or evidence. But it wasn't as though Nezu's predictions were ever wrong. At that point in time, he was waiting to confirm his suspicions.

After Nezu had said that, the entire class were now shouting out their thoughts. A villain that knew someone in 1-A? Was there a traitor? Iida and Uraraka's face shone a ray of hope. They were excited but a little scared that Faceless knew about 1-A. He was a villain and if a villain had any connection to a hero school..well..it was an 'oil and water' situation. They mumbled their own theories together, awaiting for the new piece of information on the strange Faceless villain. Todoroki gave a small humming sound when he heard about this. He wondered why this one villain was the centre of attention when nobody had even seen him before. It wasn't like this was his first time hearing of the villain, but why him? There were so many others that were far scarier, far stronger and far more unknown. It was so illogical. However, in the sea of confused, intrigued and shocked faces, there was one that stood out.

A blonde, boastful bastard.

Bakugou's blood ran cold at the sound of his old childhood nickname. In any normal condition, nicknames wouldn't be called by just one person, but a multitude of people. Or at least the nickname would be known by others. But this… this was different. Only Deku called him that. It was no longer debatable to whether or not Deku and Faceless were the same person anymore. Calling them different people would factually be wrong at this point. They own the same hearts, organ systems and bodies. But talking emotionally and mentally, they were completely different from one another. Then why? Why was Bakugou producing so much cold sweat? Why was he the odd one, out of the class of confusion?

Just seeing Bakugou's instant mood change was more than enough to convince Nezu of his doubts and theories.

"_Bingo." _thought Nezu.

"_Haha. Fucking Nezu… playing damn mind games with me? Am I going deaf or paranoid or something? There's no fukcing way Deku is Fac- I'm not even going to think about that fucking name..FUCK. FUCK." _thought Bakugou. He was gripping his head like a life line and had the look of a person who in denial. Kirishima was now getting very scared at the way Bakugou was behaving.

"_I've never seen this side to Bakugou before..and I've seen many sides to him..surely he isn't related to the Faceless villain..don't tell me that he-"_

"Bakugou Katsuki. If you would please follow me outside?" said Nezu in a serious tone. If Bakugou was _'Kacchan', _then he was the one who inflicted those burns upon Izuku, then…

"_No you won't. Kacchan did it." _Izuku's words were repeating itself in Nezu's head.

"_So that's what he meant." _thought Nezu. He had slowly realised that Izuku knew that Nezu couldn't do much to Bakugou because of his power and the fact that he's a minor. It was now basically confirmed that Bakugou had inflicted those burns on Izuku. Nezu should have known from the get go that Bakugou was Kacchan. Katsuki and Kacchan. Sounds similar. Bakugou applying those burns on Izuku would be enough to give him a suspension. It was enough for that, but Nezu wasn't satisfied with it.

"You are Kacchan, aren't you, Bakugou." said Nezu.

"Y-Yes. Yes, I am. So?" Bakugou choked out. Nezu's eyes widened in pure rage.

"You!" Nezu shouted from the top of his lungs. This scared Bakugou, it showed as well. He never thought that such a small creature could feel an emotion like anger.

"Do you..do you know who 'Midoriya Izuku' is?" asked Nezu in a shaking tone. Bakugou croaked. How was that possible? Why bring that useless bastard up now? Why now, of all times? Bakugou was in a state of contradiction and became agitated.

"I do. He was a childhood classmate." said Bakugou, finally. "Quirkless piece of shit, too.." he whispered. His nervousness soon left him. He was now filled to the brim with gall and exasperance. He wanted to explode everything within his field of vision at that moment. Faceless was Deku...Faceless was Deku...Faceless was Deku! It was such a load of shit.

"Then, I'll cut out the middlemen and get straight to the point. I'm sure you are now aware that Faceless is Midoriya. Now, why did you burn him. He looks nothing like he does in that photo I, and the rest of the staff, were provided with. What did you do to him?" asked Nezu.

Bakugou clicked his tongue and put his hands in his pockets. From that point on, his body was a raging fire of hatred and Deku was the fuel. He spilled mostly everything about Izuku to Nezu unintentionally. He had a habit of talking loosely about the things he loathed. He talked and talked and went on and on about how Izuku was quirkless and how he picked on Izuku everyday and how the teachers didn't care for any of it. The teachers joined in themselves, most of the time. Bakugou talked about how Izuku wanted to be a hero and how he fantasized about being like All Might and helping people. What a daft fucking idea, that was. A quirkless hero was unheard of! The way that Bakugou was describing Izuku's life, from his perspective, was quite light-hearted, compared to the reality. Bakugou didn't leave a lot out, as he thought U.A teachers and his Middle School teachers would be no different.

By the time Bakugou was done, there were a few seconds of awkward silence until he was given a hot slap from Nezu. Bakugou frantically rubbed at his cheek and started down at the Principal.

"Those are the acts of a villain." spat Nezu with disgust, he was fully prepared to expel Bakugou at any given time. "How dare you?! In such a casual way, you spew the acts of a horrid villain. I have the right mind to expel you, Bakugou. Not only have you abused your classmate, but you have committed acts that were against the law! You have illegally used your quirk, you used your quirk for acts of conflict on the defenseless and weak instead of self-defence, using quirk for sadism, robbing money from your classmates and much more. Your parents will of course be called and your place at U.A will be at stake and… you...why on earth…" Nezu just kept going on and on and on and on!

Bakugou was in utter disbelief at what he was hearing.

"_Eh?"_

Bakugou had staggered a few steps backwards and had his mouth agape. His body felt numb and his chest felt overwhelmed with confusion and anger. His breathing picked up and his red eyes lit up in frenzy. Had Nezu not been the Principal of the best hero school in Japan, Bakugou probably would have killed him or beaten him by now! His mind was fogged with anger that some parts of what Nezu was saying were not heard.

"_What? Why does this bastard care about a Deku? Is he deluded? This is the kind of bullshit that gets me mad. So you're telling me that even when that dumbass became a villain, he still couldn't keep himself to himself. Still involving me in his crap." _thought Bakugou. He decided to keep his trap shut as it could cost him his place at U.A and Kirishima's friendship. He didn't want to lose that. Losing a friend wasn't even equal in importance to rambling about Deku.

"Am I understood? I'm currently fuming and not in the right mind, so my choice of expelling you is due to my emotions, not my rights as principal." said Nezu calmy. "Your parents will be called. Go back to class." Nezu walked out of Bakugou's sight and into the distance. Bakugou's knees gave out and he dropped to the ground with a crazed smile and his red eyes were submerged in faint bloodlust. He rubbed his face with his hands and thought.

"_That damn Deku is still alive, huh? And he thinks he's better than me just because he landed a few scratches on me? Haha...Ah..that fucker.." _thought Bakugou, begrudgingly getting up and walking back into class.

In his office, Nezu was currently in great distress about the recent events that had just occurred. He slapped a student, lost composure, half-threatened the student and..defended a villain? Izuku and Bakugou were childhood classmates and Izuku was tormented everyday for about 16 years, up until he joined the League. Surely, there were some laws broken during the whole of those 16 years. All the violence and hate and abuse. All that, because he lacked a quirk? That was utter nonsense.

Nezu was worried for Izuku. He held his head in his small paws and sighed a deep breath, before drinking some water. He thought about the situation at the moment.

"_So, Bakugou has a possible vendetta against Midoriya, Bakugou caused those burns and scars on Midoriya's skin for all those years with his quirk, Midoriya went missing, Midoriya was found as a villain, Bakugou and Midoriya hate each other…" _thought Nezu, chewing on the end of a pen. There was a blank space at the end of the string of events.

How did Izuku become a villain?

That apparently didn't matter to Nezu much, so he pushed that though to the back of his mind and thought about something else.

There were two options. Either Izuku rotted in a cell or…

"Enroll him. I have to enroll him! Maybe not as a student, due to the relationship he has with Bakugou, but maybe as a teacher!" he jumped out of his seat in hope. It could work. Izuku was clearly skilled in combat and analytical skill..It could work. Izuku had saved a couple of people and met a student in 1-A. It would work! Nezu thought and planned out his idea and decided that Izuku's teachings would be considered an addition to his 'jail time'. Nezu rung the police and the rest of the staff, telling them every detail about his conversation with Bakugou and his plan, regarding Izuku. By the time he finished, his jaw was about to fall off in soreness, but it was worth it. The teachers were all hesitant but the majority of them had no complaints. The police were completely fine with this idea of jail time. Some even thought that involving Izuku with U.A would make him see the light of heroes and feel the taste of hope and happiness. It could potentially save him from the abyss of depression he was drowning in. But perhaps that was maybe a bit hopeful and unrealistic, but it wasn't impossible. Where there's hope, there's a way, goes the saying.

When Naomasa heard about Izuku's past, he was disgusted to the stomach with Bakugou. To think there was scum that would belittle someone that didn't have a quirk. Naomasa was absolutely glad that he was being told this information but he felt as though what Nezu was telling him was only scratching the surface of Izuku's _true_ experiences and his _true _anguish.

Naomasa melancholily thought of Izuku going through 16 years of despair and torment and emotional turmoil. That was probably hell. However, when there was talk of Izuku teaching at U.A, it was like Naomasa's gloom was scraped away and being replaced with a fresh, white and clean sheet of paper. A new slate for Izuku! He happily thought of ways to help Izuku and what might benefit him. Naomasa was doing all this with good intentions and wishes and only wanted the best for Izuku. He walked over to Izuku's cell.

Izuku was sitting upright in his cell and was told by Naomasa of the situation. Izuku was overwhelmed by all that he was being told after such a peaceful couple of hours. Naomasa was excited for Izuku and of all that could happen if he just acknowledged his potential. Izuku put his hands over his ears, as if Naomasa's voice was too loud. All these people and teachers and heroes and strangers were apparently did this with good intentions..but what about the man himself? What about Izuku? He had no say whatsoever in this! _'Jail Time'_? He was being talked about, his life being planned out for him, again and again and again! Why was everyone deciding how he would live again? Izuku gripped at his head in pain and annoyance. He didn't cry, he didn't wince, but the emotional pain was hurting more than any one of Tezobi's kicks or one of Bakugou's Explosions. Even more than one of All Might's punches. It was a bitter and stingy pain that sunk deep within him. It was almost suffocating.

"_It's..too much..Not again, God, Not again…I don't want this! And to think Bakugou knows I'm a villain and alive and found and...For fuck's sake...someone just stab me in the heart...End this.." _thought Izuku in unease. He was having a panic attack and clutching tightly at his chest.

"I hope you don't min- SHIT! Midoriya!" Naomasa finally realised what he was doing to Izuku. He was loading all of his expectations-no, all of the teachers' and staffs' heavy expectations onto the shoulders of a broken, emotionless kid.

"_Shit...What kind of person am I.." _thought Naomasa as he aided Izuku and got him to calm down. Naomasa apologised and slowly and carefully proceeded to speak about the plan that Nezu had.

"Is this a fucking joke, Detective?" Izuku said, looking Detective directly in the eyes with his own dead looking eyes. Naomasa shook his head warily, a little frightened of what Izuku might do. He then, after a few minutes, regained his professional composure.

"Don't bother arguing with me, Midoriya. The police are saying you have no choice, as it is part of your jail time. You start tomorrow." said Naomasa sternly. As much as he cared for Izuku, he had to remember that he was a Detective, not someone that should be close with a villain.

Izuku buried his face in his hands and didn't bother to look up. He was too saturated in grief and hollowness to do anything.

"Get out." said Izuku in a softer tone.

"Wh-"

"Detective. Get. Out." said Izuku with a firm, haunting voice and a lethal look in his eyes with a smile drawn on his lips. Izuku's corrupt and wicked face was already enough to shoo Naomasa out of the cell. Once Naomasa had left, Izuku emitted an inhuman, ear-splitting scream that cracked the thick, glassy windows a little and with the swift kick of his foot, he created a hole in the walls. Izuku then innocently dropped onto the mattress in a start position with an unreadable expression on his face.

"So that's what that damned dream was about, huh." murmured Izuku to himself as he remembered the dream form the night before. He was aware he could change the future, but he wasn't selfish. He wasn't into the idea of self-benefit. Maybe it was because he wasn't used to it? Didn't matter. Izuku fell asleep and didn't have any dreams.

"Ah.." said a low, spine-chilling voice. "All Might..It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five minutes." said the voice of the monitor. All Might nodded.

"You know, the wires and cables monitor my brainwaves and quirk signals. So if I even scratch my nose, those guns point to me immediately in such a frightful way. Even if I so much as think of using my quirk, I'll be filled with holes." said All for One.

All Might said nothing and had a stoic expression on his face.

"Come on." dared All for One. "You didn't come here for nothing, did you? Humour me with a conversation, All Might."

"What did you do to him?" said All Might in a cold as a ice tone.

"Hm?" joked All for One, knowing good and well who All Might was referring to. "Whom?"

"This is no time for jokes. I'm talking about Faceless. He was an innocent little boy until you decided to interfere and pollute his mind with thoughts of evil and-" All Might was rudely cut of by All for One.

"Faceless had already been destroyed by the cruelty of today's society. You know, because of his lack of quirk? Surely, you would know about that, Toshinori?" teased All for One. This made All Might's blood boil. He hated how manipulative All for One was.

"How? As if he would suddenly become a villain after all that. It was you, I know it was you. Be a man, take responsibility, you villain." spat All Might.

"Oh dear me, All Might. Don't be so harsh on me. Don't waltz into Tartarus calling me a villain when you were the last one to crack the egg of despair within the boy. I only hatched him, guided him and ultimately saved him. That's how he came to be the chick of despair he is today! Wonderful, is it not?" proclaimed All for One.

"Saved him? You are disgusting. You don't know anything about the events that happened between Faceless and I." said All Might, folding his arms.

All for One chuckled.

"You are naive, All Might. He told me everything. Open your eyes and step into the real world. Not the one that showers false representations of heros in praise. Not the one that glorifies powerful quirks. No, no. I'm talking about the one that casts the useless to the side and leaves them as nothing, _for_ nothing." said All for One seriously. All Might's eyes opened in shock and realisation. That made All for One speak with joy.

"Do you see now, All Might? You have failed the poor boy!"

"N-No.." whimpered All Might. Second by second, All Might was losing confidence in himself.

"You told an innocent boy that he couldn't be a hero, all in the name of superficiality! You were his last shred of hope! The last thing keeping him sane!" declared All for One in an extravagant way. He was enjoying this to a creepy extent.

"No..I didn't..I couldn't.." said All Might in the way of a hurt dog.

All for One calmed down and spoke in a more serious and poignant tone.

"You caused him to attempt suicide. Did you know that? Did he tell you that?" said All for One. All Might's blood ran cold and his skin went pale. He looked remarkably like a corpse.

"_What? What? Huh, what was that? Suicide? This is too much...but he doesn't seem to be lying...and Midoriya looked too depressed. I knew I wasn't being told the full story... I'm a failure..I'm a dud..FUCK!" _thought All Might in self-hate. He was in the midst of pure insanity.

"Judging by your reaction, you didn't. It wasn't his first attempt, by the way. But that's a tale for later." said All for One with an unnerving smile. All Might looked up and saw that his time was over. The guard told him to leave and All Might left the room completely distraught.

All for One, however, was having an absolute ball.

"This is reality All Might. Misunderstandings and tearing down one another."

If humans are disgusting creatures, what does it mean to be inhumane?


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter twenty-four - **_By will, I am forsaken._

In a dark, cold wearhouse, the members of the League were consumed with doubt and confusion. They were in a state of irritation and slight fear, due to the fact that they didn't know what to do next. Well, it was more like they had no faith in their current leader _'Tomura Shigaraki'._ Of course, they didn't say their thoughts aloud because they know that the second those words of nervousness left their lips, their faces would be no more. Dabi was smoking and staring at the ground in dissatisfaction.

"God damnit, why the fuck did I even decide to join you crackheads?" said Dabi in an irritated tone. Dabi, at that point, was just rambling his thoughts out loud. "We have no plan or start or whatever the fuck we actually need. It's cold as well. Not to mention, all the shit started to happen when the kid got captured. Hah, that was probably the Handy Man's fault..shit's crazy."

Toga tapped her index finger on the point of the knife and lightly hummed. She didn't know much about Izuku, nor did she particularly care. But she didn't like how him leaving left them in such desolation. Tomura was grumbling almost all the time and had a habit of scratching his neck whilst pacing up and down the path in front of him. He hadn't the foggiest clue of what to do and felt like the whole world was against him. Tomura didn't like how Sensei had gotten captured so 'easily' by the hero they were plotting against and the cherry on top was that Izuku, the one who went on most of the important jobs, got captured too! Tomura always wondered if Izuku and Sensei would both go to Tartarus..or would it just be Sensei? Or just Izuku? He didn't hate Izuku, but nor did he like him. He just didn't like him, whether out of jealousy or just for the sake of teasing, nobody knew. But it was obvious he hated the situation and Izuku had a part to play in it.

The rest of the League were getting visibly agitated about what their next move would be and what they would do next but doing absolutely nothing caused them great anticipation. Kurogiri was deeply sorrowed that Sensei and Izuku were gone. Though his face stoic and his hands were forever shining glasses, he felt flashes of negative emotion build up inside him that he didn't know how to vent out. It was so unhealthy to keep such a multitude of negativity pent up in one's system, but they were villains. Who cared about health and wellbeing when they could be killed or imprisoned at any given second?

Dabi looked around and saw how everyone was gloomy and exasperated and he spoke again.

"Oi..you lot better not ignore me. We all joined this damned organisation to get revenge on _heroes_, no?" spat Dabi. He emphasised the word 'hero' with extra disgust, that caused them all to look up in curiosity. All but Tezobi.

"I understand where you're coming from, Dabi, but what we want and what we get are not exactly the same. We could want something and get the complete opposite, all in the name of bad luck. We are villains for a reason, not for the fun of it." replied Compress, cross-legged.

"Are you suggesting that all this shit was karma or some predetermined mystical crap? Don't make me turn you to dust, Compress. I'm in quite the fucking muddle at the moment." said Tomura. He was a short fused bomb and was not in the mood to hear the words of a masked man.

"Shigaraki, this is the world of heroes and villains. Anything is possible nowadays, 'm sure you know that." said Magne. She was just as bored as everyone else. All but Tezobi.

"Anything is possible, you say? Quite the damn irony. I'm sure that the phrase _'anything is possible'_ is false for obvious reasons. It self-explanatory, at this point." retorted Spinner. He wasn't some know-it-all. He once also believed anything was possible and life could not get any worse but of course, that wasn't the case. Obviously.

The group conversed on what the situation was at that moment and argued about what to do next. Without Sensei, the group was quite on and off. When Sensei was there, if they needed everyone to perform a task, they would all follow the command. But now that he was gone, it was more of a 'slightly nugatory part-time job' situation. Nobody liked how the organisation had descended, but there wasn't much a guy could do.

Throughout the entirety of the all conversation, Tezobi said nothing to anybody. She just had a discreetly unhappy face and she sucked on the tip of her thumb when she was in a bad mood. It all began once Izuku had left. She felt like she had only a small flame of will left to participate in League activities, as they weren't just cooped up in the warehouse. She had subconsciously grown a deep compassion for Izuku. Not a romantic love, not a platonic love and nor was it a motherly love. It was just a compassion she had developed over the time she had spent with him. She sometimes remembered times where they'd fight with each other during combat or training and Izuku would have a look of sadness and fury in his eyes. He'd always mumble under his breath or just blankly stare at nothing. Tezobi loved teasing him about trivial things and not getting any response. No response was sometimes the best response because it wasn't as though Izuku was ignoring her. She knew that he was listening. She could sense he was listening to her. Once in a blue moon, he'd reply to her insults with an insult in return or a scoff. It was the little things that pleased her the most, when it came to Izuku. However, when Izuku was captured by the heroes, her heart painfully pounded in gloom. She was with the League because they 'saved' her, but she didn't necessarily want to be there. She was just repaying the debt she owed them for saving her. But even after the debt was relieved, she stayed. Maybe she felt that the League was truly where she belonged… maybe she felt that something eventful and chaotic would occur soon. And it did. It was Izuku. She tried countless amount to times to forget about Izuku and his strange ways and stories but her desire was one of a greedy king and she truly wanted to experience whatever emotion she was feeling for a longer period of time. It was like a drug. Tezobi had it and had it and when it was gone, she didn't know what to do with herself. She just wanted Izuku back. She knew Izuku's story and how he tried to take his life and whatnot and how staying with the League would not benefit him any way, shape or form but she was now hurting and needed him. It wasn't like Izuku would feel so caring towards Tezobi but just the sight of his bizarre face would lighten her mood.

Though nobody said anything, Kurogiri noticed the changes in Tezobi and desperately wanted to change it. He'd known her since she was young and was like some kind of unfathomable male family member. Day after day, he'd squeak the glasses clean as ever and await non existent customers to drink from the cups and laugh at stupid things and curse their luck with all their might. His life with Sensei, Tezobi and Tomura had been quite the experience and he wouldn't trade it for anything but when he saw how thoroughly shattered Izuku was at such a young age, his vision was suddenly darker..but lighter somehow. Meeting Izuku meant he could yet again care for another child of misfortune. He didn't actually like taking care of children or kids but he'd oddly help any child that Sensei brought in. He quite enjoyed having Izuku wind Tomura up and fight with Tezobi and the expression he had on his face when he met Sensei was a special one. It was one he'd keep locked in his heart. Kurogiri truly did care for Izuku and when he was gone, the League suddenly had nowhere to go and nothing to do and nowhere to cause destruction. Perhaps it was as Tomura said, maybe it was karma that caused them such sour luck. He was distraught when he found that Izuku had been taken, but he was disposed to look on the bright side of things. Maybe bringing Izuku to the light of the heroes, who destroyed him, would help him? It could be counterproductive but no matter how much Kurogiri hated the situation, no matter how much he wrathed the way the world worked, no matter how many times he prayed he'd see the hurt boy smile again, it was fairly obvious that one fact remained perpetual.

Izuku wasn't coming back.

Izuku was sitting up on his bed with a hunched back and violet eye bags. Today was the day he would start teaching at the very school he dreamed of. Helping the people that borned his misery. Izuku always got what he didn't want and was forced to do it all in the name of 'jail time'. Even though Izuku would gladly kill everyone in the damned prison for causing him trouble, he didn't have the energy or motivation to do anything. He was like a moldless clay that refused to be turned into someone he didn't want to be yet he would comply passively with what he was told with no emotion whatsoever. He was a strange one. Izuku scratched and decided to think nothing of the day that would await him. He would become extremely irritated and excessively bitter if he thought about teaching a room full of prestige, quirk-armed teenagers.

"_I really don't want to do this… I should have let myself get killed in Hades or something." _thought Izuku in hindsight. He sighed and sat on the floor with his palms in his hands, waiting for some officer or detective to come and tell him what to do. _'Just hurry it up already'_. Izuku then heard footsteps approach his cell and he knew that it was Naomasa, just by estimating his weight, shoe size and the breathing pattern.

"Midoriya, you're up early I see. Were you that excited to meet your class?" said Naomasa sarcastically. Izuku slowly rose his head from his palms and gaped at Naomasa with hollow irked eyes, causing the tall detective to chuckle sheepishly.

"Look, I know you don't want to go but it could be for your own good. You need to do this for jail time as well."

"_I swear to fucking God, if I hear 'jail time' one more time.."_ thought Izuku. Was the word 'jail time' some sort of euphemistic word for 'purifying the evil'? Izuku wasn't in the mood for annoying things.

"You're going soon, so you need to change into teaching attire. I'll give you some clothes now." Naomasa walked away for a few minutes before coming back with folded clothes. Izuku reluctantly took them and stared at them before stripping himself to change. Izuku was naked for some brief moments and seemed so unfazed at being seen bare, it surprised Naomasa. Naomasa felt like a pervert and proceeded to look away but he then turned to look back at Izuku and saw the amount of scars darted across his body like countries on a map. They all looked like they were permanent and from previous battles of heinous activity. Naomasa rubbed his chin in upset and misery at what he was seeing.

"_So, those scars we saw on his forearms were nothing but a scratch on the surface compared to his remaining scars… I've never seen anyone in such a state. No hero has scars like these… so brutal. This is wicked." _thought Naomasa. Izuku felt himself being stared at and took no notice of it and continued to change.

"Geez." said Naomasa. He didn't think fixing Izuku would be easy but this was going to be a lot harder than he thought.

"Getting a good view, Detective?" plainly said Izuku, buttoning his shirt. Izuku then put on his black dress shoes and felt very strange in them. He tapped his foot on the floor to try and get used to them, but he just couldn't. He looked to Naomasa, who had an adoring look on his face as if he'd just seen the cutest thing ever.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't be used to wearing shoes like that. You've only ever been in sneakers and geta your whole life." Naomasa said. He picked up some simple black sneakers and threw them to Izuku, who caught them swiftly and out them on while softening his expression. Izuku was wearing a long sleeved white shirt underneath a black sweater vest. He wore black trousers and the black sneakers he was given. His hair and face were as gloomy as could be and he was ready to get the trouble over with.

"Looks like you're ready, Midoriya." said Naomasa, opening the gate and walking behind Izuku to make sure he wouldn't try anything sneaky.

"Hm."

"You'll be teaching class 1-A of the Hero course. They will not all be immediately accepting towards you, for obvious reasons. You will be treated like any other teacher that teaches at U.A and will be teaching the classes 'freestyle'. You'll be under the supervision of Aizawa Shota, also known as Eraser Head. I'm sure you will be familiar with the heroes there... and I forgot to mention that due to recent attacks made on the school, there are the _'Heights Alliance' _dorms that are provided to the students of U.A and some teachers." explained Naomasa. He said some more basic things and kept walking with Midoriya to the front of the school.

"Lastly, Midoriya, just.." Naomasa sighed and pinched his nose bridge. "Just don't do anything extraordinary. Okay? We want the best for you, whether you believe it or not." Midoriya bowed to Naomasa as a thank you and walked into the building.

"_Hope he's okay. Poor kid.." _thought Naomasa. He then got a phone call. It was from Nezu. He curiously listened to what Nezu had to say. He briefly told Naomasa how he was aware that this was Izuku's first day teaching and that what he was going to say was extremely important. Nezu's voice was becoming more aggravated, hesitant and he did the occasional stutter.

"_What's he trying to tell me…" _thought Naomasa, with a concerned look on his face once he learned that it was to do with Izuku. Nothing good ever came from things about that broken child.

"...he attempted suicide…" said Nezu over the phone.

Post-haste to when those words reached Naomasa's ears, his pupils dilated like he had seen the most traumatic thing in the world. He dropped to his knees, started to breathe heavily and dropped his phone by accident. He was on all fours and his hand was tightly gripping at his head. Naomasa felt cold and slightly numb, like he was floating in a cold chasm of nothingness. He tried to get up but ended up staring aimlessly at the ground in shock.

"W..What.." whispered Naomasa. The hurt in his voice was so prominent that Nezu could hear loud and clear of the emotions that lay deep within his voice.

"Naomasa..get up. I know you're on the floor. Listen to the rest of what I've got to say. I got the information from All Might. He went to speak with All for One yesterday." said Nezu.

Naomasa slowly got up and took in deep breaths. Couldn't the kid give him a damned break? Why was he always involved in some sort of serious issue? Nezu proceeded to explain in detail what he had to say and it left Naomasa in disorientation and trepidation.

"The League helped him, huh. I'm grateful and confused. Why choose Izuku?" asked Naomasa. He had calmed down a bit but was still shocked and outraged.

"His analysistic skills, Detective. Think about it: A boy on the cliff of despair, that has intelligence and potential above all. In addition, nobody will care or know of his disappearance until a few months into the recruitment and even then, it would be too late to save him as he would have turned to the villains side. It's perfect for them." said Nezu.

Naomasa gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. He was absolutely disgusted that nobody cared for such a lonely, wretched boy. To think it was so bad he wanted to kill himself.

_Kill Himself. _

Those words really affected Naomasa. He didn't know why, it just made him feel so woeful. He wanted to help the boy even more now. He wanted the boy to know people _did _care for him, even if he refused to believe it. He had to. He needed to.

Nezu went over some other things and Naomasa replied appropriately. Soon the call ended. Naomasa put his hands in his pockets and looked at the ever-blue sky. The innocent, constant sky.

"_You wanted to go up there, huh, Midoriya. Don't worry, the world isn't so cruel." _thought Naomasa.

"_So, stay a little longer, 'kay?" _

How many times does one have to get hurt before their wounds are seen?


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter twenty-five - **_Tried? Of that, they did._

Izuku was walking down the lonely hallways of U.A High School and wasn't at all surprised to see how sophisticated and magnificent his surroundings looked. The old him would have been awestruck at what he was seeing and would immediately run around the school eagerly in an uncoordinated way. But the Izuku of the present wasn't at all excited to be at U.A. He _loathed_ the school and _loathed _the heroes and _loathed _everything, including himself. Izuku was only there for jail time and mainly because he was forced to. It would be bothersome to resist and fret. He knew every corner of the school because when he was with the League, before going to the U.S.J, he memorised blueprints and measurements of every single square meter of every building and knew all the security cameras and blind spots of the school. He now knew it like the back of his hand, but that didn't mean he trusted the school or anyone in it.

Izuku was walking for a few minutes until he saw a tall, lean man with mop-like black hair hanging on his shoulders. He wore all black and had his mouth partly covered up by a white scarf and had an expressionless face. He stood right in front of a large grey door with _'1-A'_ imprinted on it.

"_Aizawa Shota, Pro Hero Eraser Head. Wonder what he wants… Oh wait, Detective did say a teacher would supervise me." _thought Izuku. They both stood in silence before Aizawa broke the silence.

"Faceless… you really came, huh. Anyway, I assume you already know who I am and you have already been told how I will be supervising you." explained Aizawa blandly. Izuku stayed motionless. "We are fellow teachers, so call me Aizawa and I will call you Midoriya."

"Hm." emitted Izuku quietly. He didn't care who was supervising whom or what he was called. Aizawa placed his hand on the cold metal handle of the door and glared at Izuku.

"Just know, I still do not trust you, Midoriya."

"_Ooh. Shocker." _thought Izuku. In Izuku's mind, Aizawa not trusting him was to be expected. They weren't friends. They were teachers now and had a professional relationship so there was no reason to get all warm and fuzzy with one another. Izuku was still an _SS/SSS_ rated villain. He could be thrown into Tartarus at any given time.

As Aizawa was opening the door, the muffled chatter was beginning to define and quieten at the same time. All heads in the classroom had turned towards Izuku and everyone's eyes looked as though they'd explode of curiosity.

"Pretty!" shouted Mina, smiling towards Izuku. Tsuyu nodded but Uraraka looked a little confused. She felt like she was supposed to know who this mysterious person was. Izuku brought a strange aura about him and just glared at everyone there. This made everyone flinch in surprise to see such a pretty face make create such a scary atmosphere. Bakugou's eyes flared in utter rage. Kirishima looked at Bakugou in confusion. There were mutters around the classroom and Izuku and Aizawa walked up to their class podium and Aizawa spoke first.

"Okay, everyone, you haven't been informed of this yet, but this is a new teacher that has been specially chosen to instruct here for combat purposes." Aizawa outstruched his arms to point at Izuku, who had an expressionless face.

"Huh? A teacher? That guy- or girl or whatever looks like they'd be a studnet here. Mr. Aizawa, there must be a mistake or somethin'." commented Shoji. He looked at Izuku and wondered what in the world he was always thinking with such a plain expression. Why was he a teacher? Why is this happening all of a sudden?

"Shoji, I assure you that there is no issue or mistake, this is definitely a teacher. Though I have something important to tell you about him. First of all his name is Midoriya Izuku, you'll call him Mr. Midoriya. Secondly, he's a villain. The villain Faceless."

Izuku tilted his head and smirked in an unnerving way.

"Pleased to meet you, heroes."

Iida stood up and slammed his hands on his desk and hung his mouth open like a broken oven. He discarded his glasses from his face and tried to speak, though nothing came out of his mouth.

The class fell silent. Mineta dropped his pencil on the floor in surprise. People in the class exchanged looks for a few seconds to let what they'd just heard sink in.

"I beg your pardon?" queried Yaoyorozu. "Perhaps I heard you wrong, Mr. Aizawa..perhaps I'm losing my mind."

"_Don't fret, we're all losing our minds one way or another."_ thought Izuku. He found it quite entertaining to see people's reactions once they realised he was a dangerous villain. A villain who killed and stole and did other detestable things. Nobody knew the heart of a villain, though. They only acknowledged the surface.

"F-Faceless… It's you…" said Iida, sitting down again but clutched his chest. Uraraka and basically the rest of the class shook their heads and had absolutely petrified looks of shock or worry.

"_This guy defeated Bakugou! What the fuck is this…" _thought Sero.

"Mr. Aizawa.!" cried Mineta. "We can't let a villain into our school! What if he kills us or something?" Izuku scoffed. What use would there be to kill or kidnap useless humans? Weak, greedy and petty. That's what makes a human. It's disgusting and pitiable but we all have it.

"Maybe I didn't tell you already, but I will supervising Midoriya at all times and will have him watched by other heroes and teachers as well. Not to mention, there are cameras outside and inside the building." said Aizawa blandly.

"_I'm getting bored of all this idle chatter.."_ thought Izuku.

There were great masses of mutter spread throughout the entire classroom and everyone looked uneasy and very scared. They were scared even when they knew barely anything about him. Though, they'd have a good reason to be once they found out about the League.

"I've had enough of this bullshit..YOU DEKU BASTARD!" screeched Bakugou. He had been sitting down quietly the whole time that Izuku was there, for he couldn't believe his eyes. Bakugou sprinted at Izuku at full speed, his hands full of explosions. Izuku swiftly grabbed Bakugou by the shoulders and kneed him in the stomach, causing him to throw up a little. Izuku's murderous aura increased rapidly and he simply held Bakugou with only his palm. He devilishly looked at BAkugou as if he was a dirty, stinking nappy.

Todoroki furrowed his eyebrows in interest and awe at this new villain teacher.

"_So they speak of you so extravagantly for a reason, Faceless." _thought Todoroki. When everyone was constantly talking about Izuku, he wasn't expecting much, nor was he interested much. They spoke of Faceless like he was a Demon from a story of greek mythology, an infamous legend. Todoroki didn't listen to most of the crap his class spewed because he wasn't expecting much, but then he saw Izuku. He now understood why everyone was so interested. It made sense now. You gotta see it to believe it, goes the saying.

Bakugou stomped back in anger and burned a gaze at the furious but nonchalant looking Izuku. Bakugou wiped his mouth and tried to throw a right swing, which worked to know avail due to Aizawa's quirk.

"Don't attack your teacher, Bakugou." said Aizawa holding Bakugou in his binding. He looked at Bakugou sourly. He and the rest of the staff, knew about Bakugou and Izuku's childhood history. They were disgusted, embarrassed and disappointed that their own student would perform such criminal acts. Aizawa knew that keeping them apart would be the best course of action but Nezu thought that'd be counterproductive, as that be widen the gap between them even more.

"Deku, you bastard… why the fuck are you in this school? Trying to ruin my life even when you're a damned villain. Are you nuts?" spat Bakugou, who was now released from the bindings.

"Perhaps I am nuts." said Izuku, moving his finger next to his head in a circling motion. Kirishima was just as confused as everyone else.

"_They speak as though they know each other..I need to know more…"_ thought Kirishima, full of curiosity. It was quite unbelievable to think Bakugou had history with a dangerous villain.

"Anyway, enough of that." said Aizawa finally. "Put on your hero costumes and head over to Gym Gamma. It's super move training. Midoriya will be teaching you today, myself and other teacher will be there too." and with that, everyone got up to go to their changing rooms. Iida looked longingly at Izuku, as if he wanted something from him...something like answers. He glanced at Izuku before going to change too. Izuku just stood at the doorway and looked to the ground.

"Oi, Midoriya." Aizawa threw Izuku's villain outfit to him. "You'll be in your costume too. Change here and let's go to the gym." Izuku then changed quickly and shameless into his outfit. Aizawa saw the scars on Izuku's body and almost threw up. Not because they looked disgusting, but because of Izuku's age and what he'd gone threw. It was unsightly. Aizawa thought to ask Nezu or the detective about it later. Everything was kept the same about Izuku's outfit, except for the fact that his sword had been confiscated for obvious reasons. That still annoyed Izuku. His mask wasn't there as well.

"Two things of mine have been taken. You heroes have got some sticky fingers." mumbled Izuku. Aizawa scoffed and waited at the door frame for Izuku to follow him. When Izuku was done putting on his costume, he got a flood emotion drenched into his person. The memories of the League and the missions and Hades and whatnot placed themselves into his mind vividly. Izuku softly put his hand to his head in agony.

He saw Aizawa about to approach him, out of the corner of his eyes but stopped him before he could get help.

"I'm fine." firmly said Izuku. Aizawa eyed him then shrugged. It wasn't like Izuku was any of his business, so there's no need to help.

"_He's still a kid, though." _ thought Aizawa.

Soon they walked. The trip to the gym was brisk and quiet, nobody said a thing and it was probably better that way as well. Talking would form unnecessary bonds that would be severed later on.

After minutes of only hearing the sound of their echoing footsteps for a few minutes, they reached the gym and only the teachers were present at first.

Midnight looked at Izuku in a peculiar manner. She admired him standing still in his black yukata, geta and tabi in awe. He looked at nobody and nothing, while they were all staring at him in distrust and wariness. They saw some light in the boy, yes, but that didn't equate to them liking him. He has murdered people before, murder is murder at the end of the day.

All Might was next.

He held his hands in nervousness. He had heard more than anyone else of Izuku's past and his suicide attempt, so facing the boy was all but awkward and unnerving. He wanted to apologise to Izuku for all he had done in the past. For crushing his hope, for dimming the light within him, for tipping the scales.

For not being a hero to Izuku when he needed it most.

"Midoriya..I'm-"

Izuku stared at the ground, not saying anything in reply to All Might. He looked like a depressed little statue on the verge of breaking down.

This startled Ectoplasm. He knew of what All MIght had done, but did he know how damaged that had made Izuku? He did not. Nobody would know and nobody would understand in such richness. Aizawa waved his hand in All MIght's face as if to say _'no, not now. Wait a little.'_

Cementoss found it to be quite the strange ordeal and exchange of emotions. This strange boy, filled with nothing but air and the despair, was forced to teach and help the very people who made his life a living hell. Not even Cementoss himself would want to go through that. Bad luck.

Before any further words or gestures were exchanged, students from 1-A came flooding into the gym in their colorful clothing and bright smiles of excitement. They chatted to each other in joy and youth, like they hadn't a care in the world.

"_Lucky bastards." _thought Izuku, sarcastically.

They soon quietened down a little when they remembered a villain would be teaching them that day. Bakugou looked like he would blow the building up any second then.

"He's got the same villain costume from the U.S.J…." commented Kaminari to Kirishima, who was more concerned for why on earth U.A chose that specific villain to train them. Surely, there were others of greater ability. Kirishima was underestimating Izuku, and Izuku noticed this.

"Now, class, as you know you will be doing your supermoves today and I'll be teaching you. Your super moves should consist of your quirk's best ability being utilized and the most incredible concentration and falshiness should be produced in order to make it very powerful to use on the enemy." explained Izuku dully. Bakugou looked like he wasn't so angry. Combat was his forte, after all. He was also underestimating Izuku.

"Deku, you quirkless bastard! Hurry up and let me throw some fists!" shouted Bakugou, with a snarl. Izuku looked like he was about to boil over any second.

Everyone but the teachers looked around in confusion.

"What do you mean, quirkless? That was uncalled for Bakugou." said Tokoyami. Many agreed.

"No, no. Bakugou is correct. I am quirkless." said Izuku. All Might gulped.

That turned everyone's doubtful looks upside down. They now all had more confident looks on their faces. They looked doubtful at Izuku and wondered how much damage he could possibly create without a quirk. Izuku being a villain was half forgotten as they now knew he was quirkless. Iida and Todoroki were even more interested in Izuku, how could a quirkless person beat Bakugou. Was Bakugou now weak? Or was Izuku strong? Everyone had their own thoughts on the situation but one thing was certain.

They were all underestimating him.

This made Izuku quite happy, as he was quite the sadist.

He grinned a terrifying grin that spread across his entire face.

"_Ah, that's right. Keep looking down on me, all of you. Do it, it'll make me crushing you all the more better." _thought Izuku in a sinister way. Only the teachers were worried for the students.

Cementoss quietly made the sign of the cross to himself and Aizawa tapped Izuku's shoulder.

"Hold back a little, Midoriya. They aren't as strong as you."

"But of course, Aizawa."

"Bakugou, you seem quite excited." called out MIdoriya, Bakugou flinched at his name being called and not 'Kacchan'. "You seem pretty revved up, come at me and I'll make an example out of you."

"You're looking down on me, Deku!" roared Bakugou in a ferocious fashion. Nobody had seen him so fuming, some people were just amazed to see how Izuku was so confident with no quirk.

Bakugou approached Izuku abruptly with a classical right swing.

"Typical." said Izuku in a whisper. He easily dodged it and grabbed Bakugou's wrist and threw him to the ground.

"Get up, Bakugou." tormented izuku. He had an evil snarl on his face all the while the fight was going on. All Might wanted to stop the fight as it was starting to frighten his students. Midnight stopped All Might from doing so. It was just so interesting to see a top student getting..owned in such a way?

Bakugou got up quickly and tried to kick Izuku with his heavy boots, but he dodged and kneed Bakugou in the groins before punching him heavily. Izuku's eyes were gleaming in excitement and terror as he proceeded to kick and punch Bakugou on the floor. Bakugou got a few bruises and a bloodied broken nose before getting up again and landing a solid hit onto Izuku.

"_Good. This is good." _thought Izuku. He hated Bakugou with all his heart and dirtied soul but by golly did the guy throw decent punches!

They fought and exchanged blows with each other in strength and fury. The classmates stared at the two boys fighting and decided it would be a good idea not to underestimate Izuku.

"He's strong. Indeed, very strong." said Todoroki in one breath. He couldn't deny that at first he was going to underestimate Izuku, like the rest of his class but he now knew it was better if he didn't. Though, he still thought himself as stronger.

Many _'woah'_ and _'oh my god'_'s were heard throughout the whole class and soon the fight ended with Izuku as the victor and Bakugou laying face first on the floor. Bakugou swore and cursed and threatened all he could at Izuku before eventually getting up in reluctance.

"_What the fuck is up with that bastard's power? No way is he quirkless. The little shit probably had a quirk the whole damned time and hid it from me. Sneaky piece of shit, he is." _thought Bakugou, wiping the blood from his face. He got looks of astonishment from everywhere he looked, but he gave a dirty look back in return.

Izuku regained his composure and emotionless face. He'd had a little too much fun.

"So, I'm sure you all saw that Bakugou didn't use any form of technique or concentrated power, though his punches are not to be lowly thought of. Cementoss will create cement walls for you to practice on. Hurry up and find one to use." said Izuku in a bored tone. He sat on a seat and rested his hands on his cheek and watched the students use their quirks on the cement.

"You know, I told you to hold back. Not scare the students out of their skins." said Aizawa, still looking forward.

"That's what they get for underestimating me like that. You better hope they don't underestimate their enemy on the battlefield, Aizawa, because that's how the world works; it's a terrifying place to be alive in." replied Izuku in a bland and uninterested tone.

"_What a scary thing to say at such a young age. Ticks me off." _thought Aizawa, crossing his arms. He had already heard that Izuku had been through alot of bull crap in his life, a lot of fights and a lot of things children would expect to hear in a terror-stricken tale..but hearing him say stuff like that so casually wasn't healthy at all. Aizawa really, really did not like it.

The whole class was avoiding Izuku because they were scared of him. The were wondering about him. They just didn't know how to feel about this new villain teacher when he just appeared out of the blue like that. Unexpectedly, Kaminari walked up to Midoriya.

"U-Uhm, Mr. Midoriya..I need help with my, you know, super moves." said Kaminari shyly, it was very out of character for him and surprised some classmates. He tightly closed his eyes and screwed up his face, as if he was expecting to get hit.

"Sure." was all that Izuku said and with his hands in his pockets he walked up to Kaminari's cement wall.

"_I'm no psychic but- actually I kinda am but I have this feeling Kaminari's going to ask about the amount of electricity he can output at once.." _thought Izuku. And quite right he was to think so.

"Well.. the issue is about how I can't output a certain amount of electricity at will. It's either all of it at once or nothing at all.." said Kaminari losing all his nervousness. He was now ranting about how troublesome his quirk was being. "..and if I use it too much, my brain's circuit-"

"Shorts out." said Izuku, finishing Kaminari's sentence.

"Huh? Y-Yeah. So, I don't really know what to do about it..!" chuckled Kaminari rubbing the back of his head. Izuku thought for a few seconds then spoke again.

"Well..Kaminari, I would suggest having a support device from the Support Department that would allow you to release a certain amount of volts at a time. Like a sharpshooter, for example." said Izuku.

"That's actually not a bad idea! Actually that's a great idea!" exclaimed Kaminari, he then patted Izuku on the back, completely forgetting that Izuku was a teacher. "Thanks, bro!"

Izuku froze in his place, for he hadn't been appreciated to such a degree, with the exception of the League and his parents. He hadn't been touched at all within that time frame either, so he became easily overwhelmed by the small things like that. Izuku slightly staggered, catching the eye of Aizawa. Kaminari quickly withdrew his hands form Midoriya, realising what he had just done. He felt as though he had done something bad, seeing the state that Izuku was in.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to do whatever it was I just did." said Kaminari frantically.

"It's okay, just keep practising." said Aizawa attending to Izuku. Izuku held his head in his hands in discomfort and slapped Aizawa's hand away. Then he walked away to a secluded corner.

Aizawa was dumbfounded when Izuku had done that. Nobody had done that to him - well it's to be expected. Izuku was still new to the whole _'the heroes are the saviours'_ get-up.

"What the actual hell is happening..I should give him space but I can't let this keep happening." said Aizawa to himself. All Might saw what had just happened and walked towards to Izuku, who was at the moment in time staring blankly at the ground. Maybe if he stared long enough, he'd merge into the ground and be invisible.

As All Might was walking by, Bakugou was using his quirk to its fullest extent and blew a large piece of cement towards All Might's direction. All Might was in his shrivelled form and looked quite weak and feeble. The cement would kill him on the spot.

Izuku looked up and enhanced his speed and ran faster than speed of sound to save All Might. Everyone was staring. Izuku pushed All Might out of the way and knew he wouldn't be able to dodge the large piece of cement, but it didn't really matter as he would survive it. He had been hit, beaten and hurt with much, much larger and stronger objects and people before.

The students and heroes present didn't know that though. They all widened their eyes in alarm because they thought Izuku would have been killed on his first day. The entire gym was silent. Everyone thought Izuku was dead, as anyone would die from being crushed by some hard, large rock at such a great speed.

"This is all my fault.." said All Might in a distraught tone, his hands were shaking. "I would have been me..it should have been me.. .no….! I can't keep failing you, Midoriya!"

Kaminari and some others went pale in the face and the entire gym was filled to the brim with guilt and peril.

"_It's sad and all but I guess Midoriya was just another criminal. Not immortal or special or anything. Hell, the guy was quirkless. Well, that's the end of that.." _thought Todoroki. Everyone thought the worst of the situation and was about to call someone to help, but they were all in absolute shock when they saw the large slab of cement being lifted from its place by Izuku, who had an unfazed expression on his face.

"All Might, be aware of your surroundings. Had it not been me, someone could have died." said Izuku in a casual tone and dusting off his yukata and walking absolutely fine.

"That's impossible! He's quirkless and on top of that, he has such a tiny body..looks like a girl for heavens' sake!" shouted Tsuyu. She was smart and quite blunt but had a kind heart however, seeing this small villain come out unscathed like that was extraordinary. Inhuman!

"The frog girl is right! That fucking impossible..you're .." screeched Bakugou in disbelief.

"That was incredible, Mr. Midoriya. You're so strong..!" said Yaoyorozu, other girls like Jirou and Hagakure nodded in agreement. This made Mineta and Kaminari very jealous people.

"Hey, Mr. Midoriya, don't you think the pros could have handled that?" said Mineta, narrowing his eyes. "You're a villain, act like one and get out of our hero school!" that earned Mineta a few looks of criticism and a knock on the head.

"I would if I could, Mineta. I'm not here of my own obligation so I won't be leaving anytime soon. Hold your tongue and train a bit, and maybe I'll acknowledge you enough to answer you seriously." said Izuku in an emotionless voice, scaring Mineta. "Also, that is all. Class dismissed."

Izuku's footsteps were the only thing heard in the wave of hush that was amongst the class. Many didn't talk for a while and some talked like there was no tomorrow!

The Heroes ushered the students to their dorms and went to sleep themselves. After what happened that day, all they yearned for was a good bed to lay their heads on comfortably.

When All MIght entered his own room, he collapsed onto his bed and thought about the events that took place at the school gym. He thought about how if it wasn't for Izuku, he'd be dead right now and that he never got to thank him for it. There were so many little old strings that needed to be tied firmly between All Might and Izuku, though that was easier said than done when one party was putting in effort and the other wasn't.

"_Tomorrow, I'm putting my foot down and speaking with Midoriya. I've had enough of beating around the bush. I will make him hear me out."_ thought All MIght. Though, he wasn't the only one who wanted to speak with Izuku the next day.

Spinning.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter twenty-six - **_Rid them of the canvas of question_

Izuku lay calmly on his bed staring at the ceiling of his dorm in Heights Alliance, praying to whatever God there was that today would be uneventful and dull. He didn't want to eat, drink or sleep. He didn't want to speak to anyone and didn't even have the energy to crave death. Coming to U.A was something he had to accept or it would just become harder on him and nobody else. He knew this was the truth, but why did he hate it so much? When a villain that is cast to the side like trash is given an opportunity to do good and live a normal life, they'd grab it within a heartbeat. If the villain was stubborn, that stubbornness would dwindle away into nothingness and they would become a faithful hero. If this was the case, Izuku shouldn't be any different from the average villain but he is. He was the one chosen to go to U.A and teach, He was the one being given care in abundance, He was the one being bothered over. But why? Because the poor quirkless boy's parents died and they wanted to show pity? That made Izuku snarl in rage.

"_They don't give two shits about Mom or Dad..fucking bastards. They don't care as long as it doesn't interfere with their payroll, and that's fine. That's absolutely fine, but why drag me into it?" _thought Izuku. He shut his eyes and listened sharply to the crude, virgin sounds within the room to calm himself. He heard the chirping of the birds outside, the clicking of the clock, the buzz of electricity and the sound of his heart thumping in his chest.

The sounds were not bad, they were in fact a warm sound to Izuku as it made him feel less lonely without him interacting with anyone. Like a song with no lyrics, a television with no image, a tree with no birds. Like a man with no presence. He continued to listen to those sounds until he heard footsteps approaching his door. He daren't open his eyes, as that would terminate his peaceful white noise, but he listened steadily.

"_Light footsteps." _Izuku thought. _ "Light, but firm steps. Probably not an adult and not a girl either. A boy." _He already had a face in mind of who it would be, due to process of elimination.

The footsteps came to an uncertain, hesitant stop when they reached Izuku's door. The person knocked in an uneven rhythm on the door and waited for a reply. Izuku stayed stationary. The person seemed the become quite impatient, and it showed when they knocked on the door much harder than before. That was all Izuku needed to confirm his suspicions.

"_Iida."_

Izuku got up from his bed and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing down on the cold metal handle. When the door opened, a young, masculine face appeared and discreetly darted their eyes across the room before focusing their gaze on Izuku.

"M-Mr. Midoriya, I would like to speak with you..if it's okay of course." said Iida in a strong tone. His arms were fixed closely to his sides and he bowed when Izuku gave the _'okay'_ with a slight nod. Izuku stood up on guard and swivelled a black chair towards Iida for him to sit down. Izuku had the habit of being on guard and standing up when in the face of a potential enemy. Better safe than sorry.

"Is there an issue, Iida?" said Izuku as he leaned his back on the wall and crossed his arms while looking at Iida with not his head, but his eyes.

"No. There is not. I actually came to thank you for taking the time out of your…" Iida was looking for an appropriate word. "...villainous rampage to save me from Stain in Hosu. You might have already forgotten me and the events that took place there but they are still fresh in my mind. Thank you for your hospitality." and with that, Iida politely got up and bowed. That made Izuku momentarily flinch. He had never been bowed to before.

"_Villainous rampage. Makes me sound like a damned animal."_ thought Izuku in a jesterly fashion.

"Don't worry about it, Iida. I just didn't think your life should be cut so short over a stupid mistake you made in the spur of anger. However," said Izuku, in a more serious and chilling tone with his eyes cold and hollow as ice.

"My memory is forever-green. Not one thing slips my mind. Remember that, Iida."

Iida cleared his throat and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise in tension. He adjusted his glasses and desperately looked for something else to talk about, which shocked him as before he met Izuku, he had a neverending list of questions he wanted to ask Izuku. Then he remembered.

"Mr. Midoriya, I crave your pardon, but...how did you become a villain in the first place?" daringly asked Iida. Izuku thought that Iida had quite the nerve and bravery to ask him such a question. But what harm would it do to tell Iida if he would find out in the long run? Not to mention, there was the possibility that he wouldn't tell anybody at all.

"Let's just say I was dropped into the hole of blackened-blaze and darkness and there I found a girl with the hair of purity and a heart of flames." said Izuku in a melancholy tone. Izuku's change in tone didn't go unnoticed by Iida, though Izuku inwardly cursed as he accidently mentioned the only woman next to his mother that he could stand. Tezobi. When the police asked him about his motives for staying with the League, his lips stayed sealed but when he was speaking with Iida, he spoke about it with such a free tongue. Perhaps it was because Izuku knew he wasn't being watched by many eyes or heard by many ears, or maybe because he knew Iida was the only one who seemed to know him to an extent?

"That.. sounds poetic. I dare say that it sounds quite divine..!" commented Iida with a slight chuckle in his tone.

"You dared to say, indeed." replied Izuku. He now knew within himself that Iida wasn't as bad as the other people he had met in his life, let alone U.A. Izuku knew this was true, and all, but he wouldn't just go spilling the League's members and plans to a prehero like a fool. Izuku wasn't like that. Broken beyond repair, he was. A sentimental fool, he was not.

Izuku didn't deny that Iida was an interesting fellow and he just stayed leaning on the wall with his arms folded in await for another question or an offer to leave.

"_I don't think I have much else to ask- no..it's not that I have nothing to ask but it isn't my business to ask a villain and a teacher so much about their personal lives. I'm already pushing my luck by being here." _thought Iida in humbleness.

He fiddled with his fingers for a second or two before getting up.

"Er- Mr. Midoriya, I truly am grateful that you provided me with answers to my questions in such fruitfulness. I have truly been enlightened." said Iida stepping out of the room.

"Again, I am grateful. Goodbye, Mr. Midoriya." and with that Iida bowed and left the room and marched out of the room respectfully. The room was now filled with air thick with old chatter and emptiness. The white noise was no longer there and it was just Izuku, who stood in his fixed position before sighing. It wasn't a sigh of relief or happiness. It was one of annoyance and lassitude. He could sense that another person was approaching his door.

These footsteps that were approaching his door were ones of nervousness and patience. Ones of sorrow and hope. Of guilt and confidence.

"_You've got to be shitting me.."_ thought Izuku. Guessing games were unnecessary at that point as he knew it was All Might. Who else would be able to bundle up so many emotions within a few footsteps? A man of many wonders.

Izuku stayed in his leaning position and waited expectantly for the knock on the door. He waited patiently for a few seconds before the sound came.

"It's open." said Izuku blandly. Hearing this, the door opened slowly and All Might's lean figure slipped out of the crack of the door. All Might, just as Iida had, glanced around Izuku's room and then looked at Izuku, who was stone faced.

"Midoriya...I came to talk.. I-" the rest of All Might's sentence was snatched from his mouth when Izuku then spoke.

"The chair, All Might. Sit, if you would." said Izuku, nodding his head towards the chair. All Might hesitantly sat on the chair and shifted to make sure he was comfortable. He noticed something about the black chair, though.

"_It's still warm..was someone already here?" _thought All Might. He wandered about in the green, weathering fields of his own thoughts trying to figure out who could have sat in the chair he was in and why they were there. If he vaguely knew that everyone was somewhat on guard and hostile towards Izuku, who could it be. Bakugou? Iida? Kaminari?

"You wanted to speak, I presume?" asked Izuku.

"Yes, I have. It's..about how badly I've messed up.. And..and!" frantically spewed All Might as he saw how disinterested Izuku began to look. "And..I know you wouldn't care about what I have to say. But just here me out. I have a lot to say and I've been holding myself back. I won't stand for it anymore..!" said All Might in a more confident tone.

Izuku raised a brow. "Oh? Is that so, All Might? Then, please, speak on as you wish."

All Might sighed. "I-Is is true you attempted suicide?"

Izuku's eyes widened in suddenness and shock. It was quite the conversation starter and took even Izuku by surprise, and it showed on his face. He knew it showed on his damned face because he saw All Might's face become overhauled with guilt and nausea. How on earth did he find out?

"So, you did..Midoriya..I don't know what to say.." said All MIght looking to the floor, Izuku bit his lip. "Just..just tell me why? And why did I have to learn this from All for One?"

"_So, it was Sensei...shit. That makes things even worse. Ugh.."_ thought Izuku in disgust. Why couldn't nature just take its course and kill him off? If you hated a gift given to you and had the choice to throw it away, would you cling to it in reluctance or would you throw it away? The latter is what Izuku thought. He'd had enough of the 'gift' of life and would gladly throw the gift away if it didn't keep coming back to possess his body.

"I did it because I had enough. Is that what you want to hear, Mr. Hero? I had enough of this shitty life filled with shitty people and a shitty vessel. You wouldn't get it, though. You threw me away, like the rest of society on that day on the building." said Izuku in dismal.

"You remember, don't you?"

All Might cringed in guilt and embarrassment. To think the No. 1 hero in the world would become the number one hope-crusher. To do this horrible act to a kid who was already dead inside. Why couldn't All Might just lie to Izuku and just say 'yes'? Lies and lies and lies would have kept him going, even if they hurt.

"I am genuinely sorry and utterly disgusted with myself that I said that to you that day, I really am. Midoriya, what I told you that day wasn't out of spite, however." said All Might in comfort. "Believe in me now, Midoriya. I promise I will never make you sad again. I'll never make you cry, Midoriya.."

"I'll be your hero, Midoriya."

Izuku wanted to hold onto every single last word All Might said, as he knew it was good for him and knew it was all truthful. He knew All Might would not make him cry, he knew All Might would never make him sad. He knew All Might was a true hero.

But Izuku was still a cold-hearted villain. He wouldn't be so easily swung to the other side, for a leopard never so easily changed its spots.

"I accept your apology, All Might. That it my answer. It's accepted, though I will not waver. I will not get emotional and hug you and cry. I will not do any of what you are probably thinking."

"_I was caught, huh." _thought All Might. He just wanted to see Izuku's smile again.

"Tell me this, Midoriya." said All Might, now feeling slightly more comfortable. "How did you become a villain? Forced? Vendetta? Pure evil? For fun?"

"All Might, you give me all those horrible options but you know within yourself none of them are true." replied Izuku. "Perhaps I had nowhere else to go. Or maybe I was saved by the villains..maybe they saw potential in me.." said Izuku sarcastically, putting his arms in his pockets.

"Midoriya, don't be like that. I'm sorry. You know that there is nothing much else I can do. But, making you into a hero would be on my list somewhere." said All Might. Izuku just gave All Might a cold, cold glare that froze him in his place.

"Midoriya. I know about the history between you and Bakugou, Nezu told me he got the information about it from the primary source themself. But...I know that what he told me wasn't as authentic as it probably is." said All Might scratching his head. "Could you, possibly, tell me what it was like for you to go through first hand. I..I just need to know, don't hold back if you really do tell me."

Izuku moved his head to the side and had a dead gaze, as he knocked his own head which caused his hair to move along gracefully.

"Just know what I tell you will haunt you, All Might. Any tale of mine is not for the faint-hearted." and with that, Izuku proceeded to tell in detail the animosity he faced day in and day out of every week and month of his life. He spoke of the facades he put on his face for his parents and the beatings and bullying and humiliation and every single thing that led up to when All Might tipped the scales of good and bad within Izuku. By the time Izuku had finished, All Might was absolutely horrified. And that was an understatement. His eyes looked as if they had been forced open for days and his cheeks looked hollowed and pale, the face of a ghost. His lips quivered in sadness and were curved in disgrace. His entire body was trembling and he had to turn around to cry a little. He felt like his insides had been ripped out of his body and been forced back in. To even put it _lightly_; All Might looked like he had just encountered the Devil himself.

"Horrific.." whispered All Might. His slender fingers trembled over his mouth. "Midoriya..I'm..so sorry..I pushed you over the edge.."

"Indeed." emotionlessly said Izuku. He gazed at All Might coldly. Not because of hate, but because that was all there was in him. "But let's not cling to the past. That doesn't help me at all."

"_What? How can he just dismiss all that trauma and abuse for all those years? And to think he had a smile on his face the whole time, all for his parents. He must have cared for them deeply, to do such a thing.." _thought All Might. He was surprised at how Izuku was just telling him all this, but he made no such comment.

"I don't think I feel so well anymore, Midoriya. I know I told you to not hold back but really…" said All MIght clutching his stomach. But then the blonde man smiled. "Thank you. Really. I must go now..Goodbye Midoriya." and with that All MIght sluggishly walked out of the room, very different to when he was going into the room. It was like two different people came in and out of Izuku's room; like Izuku's room was some kind of ominous realm.

Once the door clicked shut, Izuku expressed a crazed, insane smile and clutched at his chest. He then sat hardly on the bed, still clutching his chest. He wasn't in pain. He wasn't upset. He was overwhelmed with an unhealthy, empty excitement that had nowhere to be vented out. He just clutched his chest in madness.

"Ahh.. Did I not warn them that tales of mine are not for the light-hearted? They gave good expressions of fear on their faces, though.." he whispered to himself in a voice of mania.

I want to turn the world upside-down. It's such a simple, clear-cut wish.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter twenty-seven - **_Old tunes are the poison and the remedy_

"Hello, old man." rung the voice belonging to a twisted, sadistic man of peril. His footsteps echoed in the hollow prison, known as Tartarus and he wore a stretched smirk across his handsome face. A man of no pride, a man of no sense but surely a man of jest. He trotted over dead bodies and smeared fresh blood off of his shoes as he intimidatingly walked over to All for One.

"Ah, if it isn't Tragedy." boomed a weakened voice from a dirty glass box. All for One was fastened to multiple loops and tubes that enabled him to just about live, though he'd curse their blessed use for the pain he'd feel later on. He couldn't use his quirks either as that would drain the scarce amount of energy left within him. Without the trusty loops and tubes, he was as dead as...dead.

"My, my, All for One. To think that we'd be acquainted again in such fashion!" shouted Tragedy extravagantly with his hands up and eyes glowing with bloodlust. "Do you like the way I set this hellhole up for you? Crimson splattered everywhere the eye can reach, bodies laying in eternal rest and a dancing black that is me. It's quite the sight, is it not?"

"Splendid." replied All for One in disgust and sarcasm. He hadn't a bone in his body that could stand or even come close to liking Tragedy, for Tragedy was cunning, merciless, had a pretty face and was just insane. "Enough of all this frivolous talk, Tragedy. Why've you come here?"

Tragedy took a few more steps forward, with a more serious expression and a hand in his pocket. He then stood tall above All for One, his brown eyes had a hint of red killing intent packed in them.

"You know..All for One, you're the king of the underworld. You are a God to the lowly criminals that roam free in our word and the lowly criminals that are chained up in Tartarus. You have taken a lot of credit for doing evil and your existence births a new fear within the heroes everyday. You have done all of this, which I do congratulate you on. But then.." Tragedy paused briefly and slid out a glistening silver pocketknife from his pocket and looked at his own reflection from the weapon. "...there's me. Leader of Hades. Everyone knows of my name and the hell I bring down to those I wish it upon, I even made you flinch a little, back in the day. Remember that?" he smiled to All for One, who had a bland expression.

"_Bastard's still crazy after all these years and it doesn't look like he's aged one bit."_ thought All for One.

"You know me, All for One. You know of my pastimes and my petty childish tendencies, and to be frank.." Tragedy's eyes were no longer the soft chocolate brown they were a few minutes before. At that moment, his very presence seemed to hush all the white noise and silent bodies around him. His eyes were now aloof and soulless and he cocked his head to the side.

"I do not like you."

All for One gulped at the sudden change in tone and demeanor in general of the dark-haired man in front of him. He had only seen Tragedy so cold and bloodless once in his life, and the person who made him like that didn't live to tell the story. He knew that Tragedy was quite a scarily goofy man, so dangerously goofy that he often forgot of how absolutely terrifying he could be when he wanted. All for One did not waver, due to his pride and thick skin.

"I don't like how you do all of these remarkable acts of villainy and I don't like how you are more feared than me and I don't like that you have an entire empire under your very thumb." Tragedy played with the knife in his hands. He pricked his thumb and watched the dot of blood trickle from his finger, then licked it.

All for One scoffed. "So, you don't like me. Is that it? You decided, when you got up from bed, that you should break into and massacre everyone in the most horrific and deadly prison, Tartarus, only to confirm your dislike for me? You are utterly pitiable. Even without my eyes, I can tell you are still nothing but a child. Nothing but a child, no older than Tezobi. No - perhaps I'll be a little nicer. One or two years older than Tezobi."

This irked Tragedy and he growled in rage. "Don't talk about her. Do not even _compare_ me to her, old man. You're ticking me off…" then Tragedy's rage suddenly left him and was replaced with his usual smugness. He laughed in an ear-splitting way as he was drunk with madness, he covered his face partly, and you could only see the gleam of his eyes. A bit like the hand that covers Tomura's face.

"You ticked me off so much that I almost forgot to kill you, old man."

All for One shook at once in shock. To kill him? Tragedy? What..what nonsense! If he was going out, he'd rather go out with a respectable bang.

"What, you thought I brought a knife here for show? Jest not, All for One. Now.." said Tragedy, bringing the knife out to touch All for One's neck. "I've got to play with you for a bit before I send you to your maker."

And with that, Tragedy slashed violently at all of All for One's body, all except for his vital areas or arteries just so he could feel a pain worse than death. An experience worse than death. All for One resembled a toothless tiger in the midst of Tragedy as he danced in a detrimental waltz with a blade in his hand. Tartarus was now a silent tomb of cold corpses dotted across every square meter of the building with blood scattered over the hallways and walls, including the ceiling. The stench of blood, metal and callous would make Asmodeus twitch in pride. Only the sound of Tragedy's murderous rampage could be heard throughout the ghost-town prison, for All for One didn't whimper. He just accepted the inevitable.

"_Ahh..so this is how I end. With unfinished work, severed ties, in a stinking hellhole and with a crazy bastard at my throat. This is my end." _thought All for One.

"You see, old man.." said Tragedy in a chuckling tone, his eyes sparkling in insanity and sadism. His face had streaks of blood splattered across it and he ran his hand through his black hair. "I did this for you, I have given you eternal rest, like the rest of the people here! Can't you see, All for One? You always thought you were invincible, untouchable.. But don't you know, death conquers all. You are not able to truly live if you cannot die." All for Once was down to his last few breaths. Tragedy then got up and dusted himself off, putting his knife away. He stood in front of a bloodied All for One, who was clutching to whatever source of life left he had.

"Don't go dying on me yet, old man. Wait a sec, let me put you to sleep with my quirk. It's the best way. Because if I do that, it would mean I simply, indubitably killed you." said Tragedy in a softer tone. He then whispered, "One...two...three…" and with that, he took out all of All for One's oxygen and any life that he was struggling to keep.

"You shouldn't have struggled like that, old man. It was unsightly." mumbled Tragedy staring at All for One's corpse. He then turned away.

Then Tragedy just stood there. In the middle of Tartarus, he stood silently in the presence of a mass extermination like a grim reaper. Tragedy was in quite the disbelief that he killed _the _All for One, king of the underworld, prince of darkness. He thought about how long All for One had been in the villain scene and how he'd just abruptly put an end to all of it, with a cheap knife and bit of his quirk. He purposely did this to make his death seem insignificant and normal. As if All for One wasn't special, or anyone to be remembered. Another pebble in the path. Tragedy then grinned to himself. The grin turned to a smug smirk. Then into a full-fledged Cheshire cat sneer.

"I've done it. I really did it, haha! Ahh! This truly is the end of an age!" wickedly laughed Tragedy, now smiling at a random corpse. After a few minutes he found himself in a dark hallway and started to hum. The click-clack of his shoes were the very rhythm of death itself as he held his hands in his pockets and now had a cold smile pinned to his face. He then thought of Faceless and Tezobi. He remembered them on the day they came to Hades on some sort of strange daytripe or crusade or whatever. He remembered the way Faceless looked while he killed and slaughtered in the most indecent of ways. The way Faceless looked at Tezobi, in a distant pleading way. As if he was screaming _'get me out of here, Tezobi'_. Tragedy chuckled in the dark hallway at the very thought of them escaping that day. He wanted to see them again and cause more havoc, for he was getting bored of doing nothing but killing. All for One was slowly becoming an afterthought.

"No, no, Tragedy. One step a time. Don't get greedy." he said speaking to himself, in his deep voice. He walked solemnly through the dark hallways, checking that nobody else was alive and thought of what to do next.

_What on earth to do! What does one do after killing a monarch? Hm. Perhaps I should look for the League, they are sure to be thrilled by the news of the old man. Or even better I should-"_

What a pretty little song.

"_Dream, Dream, Dream.._

_When I want you.._

_Open my eyes whenever I want you.._

_All I have to do, is dream.." _

Should my life be cut short by the wrongdoings of others, let them be at peace, for they do not know what they have done. But, young! Cheer up, for this is the way of the skies.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter twenty-eight - **_Ode to Angsteria!_

The League were loitering in the cold warehouse, each member contemplating whether or not to run away, betray the League or just dissolve the organisation as a whole. The air was quiet and cold with hints of unmotivation, some members like Dabi were on the verge of losing their edge and urge to kill. That wasn't good at all.

"Right," suddenly said Dabi, jumping up agilly from his seat. "That's it. I'm starting to lose the will to live and do anything in this hellhole. I'm out." he looked around at everyone to see their reactions. Compress' was stoic, Toga wore a bored look and Kurogiri was just looking after Tomura, awaiting an order. Tezobi just rolled her eyes at the scarred man. Tomura's face irradiated with annoyance and he shot an evil glare Dabi's way.

"Now, now, Handy. Don't get mad at me when I know that you want to leave this place just as much as I do, so, are you coming or not 'cuz I sure as hell ain't staying here." said Dabi. He saw nobody move and proceeded to leave until Tomura's phone rang.

"Hm.." hummed Toga in curiosity. All heads spontaneously turned to face Tomura to see where the sound came from. Tezobi glanced his way as well, he knew phone calls were like an urban legend with Tomura.

"Shigaraki. Your phone." said Kurogiri cautiously. "Rarely anybody calls you, for clear reasons. You're the leader of the League and nobody is a traitor here, so whom is it that dares to call you?" Dabi was half way out of the door but when he heard this commotion he decided to go back.

"Change of plans, folks. I'm interested again." Dabi said whilst walking towards the rest of the group. Spinner grunted in irritance.

"This place isn't some social club that lets you come and go as you please when you get bored, Dabi. If information is leaked by a person, the person is tortured then killed. I bet you wouldn't wanna be tortured and killed, would you?" commented Tezobi, with a side-eye. Tomura was getting visibly angrier so Toga told Dabi and Tezobi to stop bickering, once they stopped their arguing Tomura answered the call.

"It's on speaker." said Tomura in a husky voice.

"Tomura Shigaraki, have I got news for you!" said the voice in a chilling way. The members glanced at each other in confusion but Kurogiri knew all to well who was speaking. Tezobi's eyes widened and she stood up straight.

"_Tragedy."_ she thought.

"Tragedy!" shouted Kurogiri fiercely. Compress just shook his head in disappointment, for he too knew who Tragedy was. Tomura stilled himself and thought of where he had heard that name before.

"_Tragedy, Tragedy, Tragedy...I've heard it somewhere, I know I have.."_ thought Tomura. He dug through his memories then he gasped in dismay and anger.

"Tragedy..Tragedy..you bastard, what the hell do you want? Why do you have my number?" growled in animosity. That slightly frightened the League members as they hadn't heard Tomura use such an angry tone of voice before. What could have gotten him so worked up? Nobody had heard Tragedy's voice before so they were all confused as to why only a few of their allies knew about him.

"Shigaraki, one question at a time, calm yourself." chuckled Tragedy calmly. "I did not call you to extort goods from you, nor have I come to threaten you. I've simply come to bring you news. A gospel, if your will." Everyone listened attentively.

"Get to the point." said Tomura abruptly.

"Long story short, Shigaraki, I broke into Tartarus and massacred everyone there. Including your beloved All for One."

It took a few seconds for what Tragedy said to register into everyone's minds, and even longer for them to fathom what he had just said. The first to react was Dabi. He chuckled darkly and then laughed in hysteria while clapping. It took a few minutes for him to calm down enough to speak again.

"Ha...Look, buddy, I don't know who you are or if this is some joke but...you got a good laugh out of me so congrats." said Dabi as he inhaled. Tomura was fuming at that point.

"Sensei..died..? Huh? I don't get it..already?" murmured Tezobi incoherently with a dopey look in her eyes.

"You have no right to even _speak_ of Sensei, you twisted bastard." spat Tomura in disgust. His face was contorted in rage and his red eyes were flames from hell. Toga blushed in passion while Magne and Spinner flinched in surprise.

"Shigaraki…" said Kurogiri in despair. All for One's death, huh. Kurogiri knew it was possible. He knew that Tragedy was the leader of Hades and he knew of his quirk and he knew of the destruction, death, peril, horror and pain he caused to the masses. He knew it was quite possible. It was only a possibility but that possibility was somehow set in stone in Kurogiri's mind. He fell to his knees in sadness.

"_All for One, to depart from this world after all you've done..I'm proud to have called you my master and sensei. Sad." _thought Kurogiri.

Compress aided Kurogiri and the League members were quite honestly terrified to see Kurogiri of all people in such a vulnerable state. Tezobi just turned her back to face the other way and she just held her head in her hands.

"Kurogiri, oi...why are you on your knees..?" said Tomura with a crazy, shaking voice. "You don't honestly believe this shit, do you Kurogiri? Right, Kurogiri?" With the way Tomura was speaking, it didn't sound like a question, it sounded like a desperate cry for hope. Kurogiri said nothing but looked to the floor in shame.

"What the...guys.." muttered Dabi, observing the negative atmosphere. The phone then chuckled softly.

"Well, I _am_ the leader of Hades, after all. Are you doubting my wrath and hostility?"

The moment those words left the phone, everyone present in the room went cadaverous. Toga covered her mouth with her hand and the drop of her knife clanked on the floor soundily. Magne crushed the rock beneath her in fear while Spinner screamed briefly in shock. Tezobi just bit her tongue with an unreadable expression. Dabi's cigarette fell from his lips as his eyes widened at sudden realisation.

"Shit...You're..Tragedy.." mumbled Dabi.

"_Ah...That's it, it's a wrap for me. I'm dead now. I insulted the leader of Hades, so I'm basically dead. Then I annoyed Tomura, leader of the League of Villains, so I'm dead. To top it off, All for One is dead, so...I'm basically dead too! Life's fucking great." _thought Dabi, shaking his head and scoffing then sat in the corner to light another cigarette.

"Indeed, I am Tragedy. From the sound of things, my name was acquainted to the ears of you people...good. I only called to tell you that I am now the prince of darkness, king of the underworld. All for One is _dead_. His quirks were _nothing_. All it took was the charm of a cheap knife. He isn't coming back. If you want to see your old man's dead body, I'll send you photos." explained Tragedy seriously. "It's the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one."

"You've got to kidding. You jest, surely?" whispered Kurogiri finally. Tomura said nothing but he felt like he was suffocating, like the hands of truth and despair had grabbed onto his neck and was squeezing dear life out of him. Tezobi thought about Izuku and if he knew about it and she hoped that he wouldn't know about it because that would be bad for him.

"_Who am I kidding, he has that damned Make Believe quirk, poor brat probably already knows about it. Tch."_ she thought.

"Jest, I do not. But the old man was struggling to live anyway, holding onto whatever life he had within him. Truly pathetic." casually said Tragedy, which infuriated Dabi, Magne and Compress. "Well, he was still human at the end of the day. Anyway, I have said what I needed to say and I shall be off…" Then suddenly the way Tragedy spoke became cold and commanding. Almost as if he was daring someone to retort.

"Respect me, League of Villains. For the sake of that dull livelihood of yours." and with that Tragedy cut the line and the call ended. The atmosphere was so truly sickening and dripping with bitter hopelessness and sour desolation, it would twist and turn anybody's insides. Nobody said or did anything for around 20 minutes before Tomura spoke again.

"_I'm a damn leader..I need to act like one. I won't be stepped over by that fucking bastard." _thought Tomura.

"Kurogiri, we are going outside. Take us to a new bar or something. We need plans to avenge Sensei. Not only that, but the crazy bastard had the audacity to act like he was more powerful than me. Take us away, Kurogiri." ordered Tomura. Kurogiri weakly got up and opened a portal for everyone to get into. Tezobi walked in lazily but Compress was the last person to get in and he inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"It is a sad thing. Really, a sad thing." he said before he stepped into the closing portal.

Indeed, it was a sad thing.

Izuku was writing down analytic notes on class 1-A out of boredom and because he needed to do something, anything. After speaking to All MIght and Iida, he felt slightly clearer, better or something. He was still dirtied and the dirt that infested itself in his soul would never be cleansed, he knew that, but he felt a little more...good. Though that feeling was very short-lived as right after he spoke to them he felt a huge weight of anticipation and decease crash on top of his very being out of nowhere. Like a meteor had pounded itself onto a deserted town for nothing. He was irritated by that but he just shook his head in indifference because he was used to the good things in his life being killed early, so why would now be any different? That heavy, gloomy feeling weighed on his body and mind so much that he had to punch himself to lighten it just a bit.

"_Someone died..someone of great importance has died and I have to be the one to feel the heavy impact, that's just unfair and fucked up. I wonder who died, though. Wait - could it possibly be-" _Izuku's thoughts were cut off when he got a knock on his door. He got up from his chair to answer the door and knew it would be Naomasa.

Izuku opened the door and dully tilted his head to the side as if to ask _'what on earth do you want now?'_. Naomasa just smiled sheepishly and scratched his neck.

"You got a letter, Midoriya. It was kind of on short notice, I haven't opened it so I don't know what it is. Though," said Naomasa seriously. "You don't have any direct ancestors that are alive or in Japan at all, so that means that this letter was sent from a stranger. I...I'm kind of worried. I would like to watch you open it, Midoriya. You are a known villain and you've killed before, what if someone holds a grudge? It could be anything. So, please let me watch you open it."

"Don't push your luck, Detective." said Izuku coldly, taking the letter and slamming the door. Naomasa stood at the door in upset and shock for a few seconds then sighed and left in worry. Izuku rubbed his temples and sat on his bed. He didn't for the life of him know why he would receive a letter when he was not known personally by anyone. He contradicted himself in his head and thought of whether or not to open the envelope. It could serve as good entertainment, though.

"_I haven't got anything to lose."_ thought Izuku. It was true, he didn't. So, he offhandedly opened the envelope and saw it was written in the blackest ink he ever saw. The letter read:

"_To, Faceless._

_I am aware of your true identity, but we will keep the formalities for confidential reasons. This is Tragedy, from Hades and I've got interesting news for you. But, before that, I do hope you enjoyed your time at Hades before. Did you enjoy the ribbons of blood painted on the walls in that barbaric fashion? Did you enjoy killing in the most indecent of ways? Did you enjoy gazing at Tezobi in a pleading, pitiful way? Did you? Did you? Enough of that, I wrote to you to tell you that I killed All for One. So, I now rule the underworld and the respect I deserve will be duly given. I wager that you feel a heavy weight on you, do you not? Well, don't fret, for the whole of Japan shall know soon. Not right away, but soon. The League know already, nobody else. _

_Don't go about reciting my doings to your hero saviours just yet, it's a surprise. We don't spoil surprises, do we, Faceless?_

_-Tragedy."_

Once Izuku had finished reading the letter, he felt his hands go numb and his feet go cold, a very uncomfortable feeling, though not a feeling of pain or sorrow. His legs felt cold and unsafe, like Tragedy himself had grabbed them. His head felt heavy and clouded with terror, however it was not a terror of fear but a terror of entropy. Izuku was confused and quite annoyed. Why was he being told this? To make the weight of death stronger and more profound?

"_That sadistic bastard. What the fuck does he want me to do about it..?"_ thought Izuku. All for One was dead and was not coming back, and it was none of his business. Did Izuku ask to be rescued back when he tried to commit suicide? Nay. Did he want to meet Tragedy in the first place, let alone remember Hades? Nay. So, why him? All his hopeless questions of contemplation always led back to that. Did it have to be Izuku, or could it have been somebody else? Izuku kept asking all this rhetorical questions to himself, clouding his head even further. He hated that, so he stopped thinking all together. He did some stretching exercises before changing into black joggers and a black t-shirt with the old black sneakers Naomasa gave him on his first day. His arms, that had scars and bruises to spare, were wrapped in white linen bandages. He went downstairs to the gym, as he needed to vent out his frustration and confusion somewhere else that wasn't on his own body. He stepped down the stairs and saw the living room was empty and the rooms were quiet, which meant that the students were probably in the gym.

"_I wouldn't be surprised if they were in the gym, though. The provisional license exams are coming up. They'll be scared of me, though."_ thought Izuku shrugging. He walked into the gym that was so full of laughter, joy and youth that the windows seemed to sing in wonder and delight! Teachers like Aizawa, Midnight and All Might were present to supervise the students as they trained and to make sure everything was kept well and good. Izuku, though he was still at the door, could hear Bakugou's explosions and friendly screeches. It was truly a shrill noise.

Izuku then walked nonchalantly through the gym, much to the students shock and horror as they hadn't heard him come in. Aizawa eyed him in surprise because he himself had not expected Izuku to be out of the room at all. Midnight was bewitched once again and was very eager to see Izuku again. All Might felt happy to finally see Izuku out of the room and out in the open right after their talk. He just wanted to redeem himself for all he had done to Izuku in the past. The students of 1-A were so silent that one could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on Izuku as he finally reached a masquerade of practice dummies.

"Midoriya, why are you here?" asked Aizawa, he didn't mean it maliciously but was curious. Izuku said nothing, for if he spoke he would sound like the devil incarnate. The overload of crap that Tragedy had served him was all too much so he would refrain from speech until he finished fighting.

"I still don't trust him, but he's our teacher so I have to respect him, hm..." commented Sero to Mina.

"I'm neutral. Why judge a person from their past actions? It's kinda mean, if you ask me. But yeah, I understand what you mean." she replied. They stopped conversing to go back to their own training, as did the rest of the class. The teachers stayed on guard. Then Izuku began. He sharply remembered the shit he went through just recently. He remembered how when he was with the League, he got beat and beat and beat and beat every fucking day for training. It hurt him emotionally and Izuku felt weak because of that. Just at that thought, he completely obliterated the first dummy in front of him. He then submerged himself deep into the negativity that was shoved in his face and he remembered the time he spent at Hades. That damned Colosseum and the dreadful people that participated in the slaughtering and the dreadful people that called themself an 'audience' and the hopeless gaze he gave Tezobi to somehow magically plead his way out of Hades and the callous, sadistic gaze that Tragedy gave him while he was sitting on his throne of corpses. _He enjoyed his suffering. _Izuku then easily broke five of the dummies in front of him, unable to hear the cries of worry and fear that were emitted from class 1-A. Izuku remembered all that was written on the letter and how All for One was dead...all was lost without him at the centre of destruction. Izuku should be sad about All for One's death, because he was the one who saved Izuku, right? Izuku should be bawling his eyes out in a mournful way, so why was Izuku so revved up in pure white fury? Why was he destroying all the dummies in his sight? Why did he think of All for One's face on those dummies while they were being destroyed? How come he was overcome with bloodlust?

"_Shit, shit shit! I should be thanking fucking Tragedy for killing him! He's the reason I'm alive today! He tipped the scales of life and death..such an annoying interference." _thought Izuku. He just destroyed and destroyed, like it was an addicting game. It was simply a miraculous sight. But it was also a devastating one. A perilous one. A terrific one. So much so, that some of the students were on the verge of tears and some were getting into fighting stances. Bakugou was not going to admit it aloud but he was very intimidated by Izuku at that moment because his very aura was terrifying. Bakugou wondered what on earth happened to Izuku. How did the pure boy become a villain? Why? How did he get so...strong? Ugh. He hated being scared of Izuku.

"_What on earth has gotten into Midoriya? He just came out of his room on short notice and came to the gym and started destroying everything in sight..something's happened and it probably isn't good. Well, whatever it is, it's scaring my students." _thought Aizawa. He calmly walked up to Izuku and attempted capture Izuku in his bindings, which failed as Izuku swiftly backflipped away from the bindings. That caused students to gasp, they had never seen Aizawa fail to capture somebody before.

"Mr. Midoriya…" mumbled Iida under his breath. Iida could see how distressed Izuku was, but he didn't know the reason for it. Iida wanted to be his friend, so badly. It almost hurt. Izuku needed love. Some students thought Izuku and Aizawa would fight but Izuku wasn't going to do such a thing, for the fight would be over before it even started. He was in such a state that he would kill Aizawa. He didn't want that, it would mean more prison time.

"Midoriya, you need to stop-" Aizawa's words were no more as Izuku just walked towards the door in a tranquil way with everyone watching him. Izuku stopped at the frame of the door with his back facing everyone else and his hands in his pockets.

"_To hell with your surprise, Tragedy." _he thought.

Izuku then said, in an emotionless, dry tone before walking out,

"All for One is dead."

Long live the king.

**Thanks for reading. Just a reminder, I upload when I feel like it, though I'm an anxious person so refrain from asking me to upload quicker. Leave a review and ask some questions about me if you feel like it. - Takahiro. **


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter twenty-nine - **_A Cheshire grin_

Once Izuku had walked out, there were miscellaneous reactions. A number of students furrowed their eyebrows in concern to what Izuku had just said. They were confused and couldn't think for the life of them understand what Izuku meant. Some of the students giggled under their breath in naivety, thinking that Izuku might have his head somewhere. A minority of the students were absolutely terrified out of their skin when they heard that. Well, one would say a 'minority of students' but it truly and simply was just Mineta Minoru who was terrified. He panicked and started to run around like a headless chicken crying for its mother. It was so pitiful, but could you blame him? One thing stayed unanimous, though. They all knew who All for One was and how absolutely omnipotent he was, the fear they all experienced the day he fought All Might was like a tattoo in their brains and they wished they could have never seen, heard or known what happened on that ghastly day. But that was just greedy wishing.

"_All for One? Dead? He went toe-to-toe with All Might. How could he just..die? What a joke, haha. Mr. Midoriya must think we're gullible kids."_ they all thought in unison. They weren't at fault for thinking like that. Wasn't All for One in Tartarus, the most secure prison in Japan for the most dangerous of villains? How would one, first of all, get past security? How would they get into the actual cell? How would All for One just allow himself to be killed? There were so many holes in Izuku's statement that Todoroki just chuckled and shook his head. The students were now unsure of how to think of Izuku, he was ruthless in combat, rarely spoke, a villain and they knew absolutely nothing about him. How on earth could a bunch of teenagers just begin to think of someone like that as a teacher? That would be unrealistic and quite credulous. They laughed off the strange words Izuku had said and went back to their training.

Mina briefly clutched at her chest and looked to the floor, as if to share Izuku pains. Though it wasn't out of remorse for All for One's hearsay-of-a-death. She didn't know anything about her villainous teacher, but she knew that seeing him angry and distressed made her feel sorrowful. She then shook her head in self doubt and went back to Kaminari and Sero, who looked like idiots as they beckoned her with their hands. EVerything seemed fine on the surface of the students but a little space of doubt germinated in their minds.

"_W-What if All for One actually died?"_

"_It could be true...why would Mr. Midoriya, member of the League, randomly say that?"_

"_Mr. Midoriya doesn't seem like he would lie, damn it."_

"_Was that why he was so angry before? Maybe they were close. Not like it is my problem though."_

Frivolous thoughts swarmed in their heads and a dot of fear shot through their minds that there was a villain capable of killing a villain that was the equivalent to All Might, in terms of power. Was this the evil they were told they'd face? They were too inexperienced. However, they dismissed their contradictions and went about their normal training, there's no time like the present!

That wasn't the case for the teachers. They all momentarily shivered and widened their eyes when they had heard this, it was too scarcely credible, but they knew it could have been true. All might knew that All for One was but a cough away from death in his weakened form, though to think he died? It didn't feel right. It didn't feel timely. Midnight gulped in perturbation and tightly clasped her whip. Aizawa just deepened the gaze in his fish eyes.

"_So that was the reason for his destruction? Perhaps _Izuku_ was letting off some steam. But...How can All for One be dead? I won't believe such crap." _he thought.

"How...How can All for One be dead..? It makes little to no sense. I'm sure you two know why it would make no sense." mumbled AIzawa looking to the ground. He couldn't have his students hearing their conversation, it might have caused panic.

"Yeah, how would they get into the cell in the first place? Not to mention, All for One doesn't just have all his quirks for decoration. He would surely fight back.." said Midnight in confusion.

"No," commented All Might. "He's hundreds of years old and connected to tubes of chemicals that keep him alive; he's considerably weak." Aizawa shrugged his shoulders, he knew All Might was correct and Midnight nodded in agreement. But she turned a sickly green and held her stomach.

"You two are forgetting the bigger picture..!" she said in worry. "Midoriya said this to us. To the whole class. A group of tender, callow bratty kids. All for One is beyond their field of vision in terms of power, they felt formidable emotions that day that would terrify even a pro. To say that a man of such horror is dead.." she said quietly and emptitly looked to a glistening window. "How does Midoriya know All for One is dead, anyway? He hasn't snuck out or attempted to sneak out. He just wallows meaninglessly in his dorm… but he was so angry today..and that's an understatement."

Aizawa sighed and clicked his tongue in irritance. He didn't know what to do with a problem child like Izuku in situations like this. 

"_Midoriya is causing problems left and right and it's getting to me. He isn't adjusting well at all, why can't we send him bac- no. It's disgusting of me to even think of sending a crippled boy back to the villains. It's his time to change, even if it's a little bit. But it'll take time." _he thought. Aizawa tried to be optimistic, he really did but Izuku wasn't making it any easier for him.

"Guys, calms down a little. I'm sure Midoriya said it in the spur of the moment. Who on earth would break into Tartarus? And how? There are too many fallacies in what he said. You two need to remember that under his black-hearted acts and diabolical personality, he is still just a broken kid." said All Might. "Look, it's nearly the end of the day. Let's prepare to get the students back to the dorms." he said with an encouraging smile, making Midnight chortle. Aizawa just rolled his eyes and turned to face the other way.

"Don't order me around, All Might." said Aizawa in a ruffled way, walking toward the students. That made All Might shudder in fright, which aroused Midnight.

"Do that again, All might. Make sure to squeal as well…" said Midnight sensually while swinging her whip. "Or shall I beat it out of you?"

All Might facepalmed. "Midnight, please act accordingly, you are in a building filled with minors. Wouldn't wanna catch a case, would we now? Now, let's go and help Aizawa." All Might said kindly while walking towards the students.

"Okay, okay, Mr. Inspirational!" she said lazily in a defeated tone with her hands behind her neck. All three teachers signalled the class to finish whatever they were doing and go back to the dorms. They all reached the dorms in a noisy, chatter-filled fashion. The teachers ushered them to the living room, because they had too much energy to sleep or calm down and had way too much to think about. Aizawa thought that maybe them watching TV would eventually wash out their thoughts of All for One. With All MIght leading, they all walked sluggishly walked towards their dorms and could still hear them playfully fighting over the remote.

"Tokoyami!" shouted Hagakure. "We don't wanna watch the news! Let's watch a movie….!"

"I don't think watching the news would be so bad, you know." chimed in Todoroki, who sat alone on a couch near the TV. "You could all use some enlightening anyway." Bakugou stomped his foot loudly.

"What was that, Half-and-Half bastard? Wanna say that again?!" screeched Bakugou with explosions ready to be ignited. Todoroki scoffed aloofly, making the girls squeal and causing Mineta to gaze jealousy. The atmosphere was not tense and serious, it was light and warm and very comfortable.

"_I wonder where Mr. Midoriya is…" _thought Iida bizarrely. The thought lingered around in his mind for a while before being muffled out by the noise of his class. Everyone was on top of each other trying to grasp the remote control, which was on the floor. Finally, someone accidently stepped on it and it, by serendipity, landed on the news.

"Ahh!" said Kaminari in false annoyance. "Look and see what you lot have don-"

His words were snatched from his mouth and the class went silent. Todoroki furrowed his brows and leaned in from his seat.

"Breaking News! The prison of Tartarus was broken into and found utterly ravaged and in an absolutely catastrophic state," reported the news reporter. "The guards and heroes outside the prison were all found dead and were brutally killed with a machete or some sort of sharp, metal weapon. Inside the prison, everyone present at the prison at XX:XXpm, villains, guards and heroes alike, were savagely executed and left gallons worth of blood drenched into the carpets and smeared across the walls and ceilings. On the exterior of the buildings were symbols of creepy white grins plastered on the walls. The police have now acknowledged it to be the doing of the villain Tragedy, as that is his symbol. Everyone in Tartarus was executed including the infamous, iniquitous villain All for One….and...there...also."

The rest of what the reporter said on the news was only heard in chunks and watery pieces as the entire class were _paralyzed in fear_. The entire class shared the same distorted expressions of realisation. Expressions of immaturity, expressions of nausea, expressions of pure, pure consternation. The floodgates of their vigorous eyes opened with full force and tears and crying was seen and heard nearly everywhere in the living room. The scary thing was that their lost facial expressions remained stoic and unmoving. Like a statue crying, or a painting weeping. Crestfallen, elated, affright, perplexed, guarded, hopeful, fatalistic, sorry, foolish, delusional. It was like Tragedy was the jester of class 1-A's minds, for he played and picked at their emotions while asking why they were feeling so many emotions; that they should choose one emotion or he'd get too excited with sadism and play heartily with their feelings. Tragedy was doing all this to them, yet they knew it not.

Finally, Mineta broke the deafening silence and got up to throw up in his room. Then, Kaminari got up sickly to go to his room and Yaoyorozu wiped her tears shakingly to meet her friends and bathe in their comfort. The boys tried to keep their tears in but it worked to no avail as some ended up crying openly, but nobody insulted or ridiculed them as that's how they all felt deep inside. It scared them to think there was such an _entity_ strong enough to commit a massacre and kill the phenomenal All for One. Everything in the living room seemed to be so smitten with black bleakness.

"S-So, Mr. Midoriya wasn't lying… and this Tragedy guy was responsible?" said Koda timidly.

"I guess so. We should have known, though." choked out Shoji. "In the short time that Mr. Midoriya has been with us, he has never once lied to us. But yeah, this Tragedy guy is sick. So damn sick. I don't wanna talk about him right now." that earned a few nods.

"But how did Mr. Midoriya know about it? It all seemed quite far-fetched when he said 'All for One is dead' just like that..I just don't get it." said Ojiro.

"You guys keep forgetting that All for One was his former boss when he was in the League, it isn't so surprising. But it's _how_ he got the information in the first place." explained Yaoyorozu.

"You know, we are all so foolish." said Iida out of nowhere. His voice was a little raw. "We are so childish and inexperienced and immature. It's baffling how we instantly decided to laugh at Mr. Midoriya and have no faith in him when we all knew that he was in the League previously. We didn't know or try to see how he was feeling. Imagine you were him. Being forced to come to stay and teach the people who aren't on your side, he was even imprisoned for a little while. Imagine being watched by 38 pairs of eyes, knowing in your heart that you're being judged by people your own age. Imagine breaking down at every little thing that happens to you and being stared at like you are some unique organism, it must be dreadful. Imagine destroying everything in sight and telling the truth to the enemy, only to be ridiculed. And now we don't even know of his whereabouts. Mr. Midoriya and our class...we are so close yet so far apart. We are so immature and inexperienced."

Mina looked up from her knees that she was hugging and weeping in before. She silently just looked up at Iida, whose fist was trembling.

"_It's true. Every word he speaks, it is all true. God, we are idiots.." _she thought. The class looked at Iida in awe and cognizance. _Aah_. Despite their raw, violated emotions beating in harmony, it was common sense that they were quite daft and young. They had so much more to grow within themselves.

"Let's.." said Bakugou in a more calm way, which startled the whole class. "Let's watch some fucking TV." Kirishima gave a friendly smack on the back to BAkugou with a grin.

"Bakugou...Hm! Yes, let's!" said Uraraka. She beamed and smiled so joyfully that her hair looked golden instead of brown for a second. She was proud of Iida for what he said and high-fived him before sitting to watch TV with her classmates.

But, Mina got up.

"I'm just going outside for a bit.. I don't know when I'll be back, but..don't stay up and wait for me. The Provisional License exams are tomorrow." and with that she walked out, not waiting for a reply.

Mina walked aimlessly once she was outside. She looked to her feet in shame, even when her classmates had gotten over the whole bravado. She felt like she could have done more when Izuku was in a bad place at the Gym. She could have been the one person to talk to him like the normal kid he was. She could have been the one person to believe in what he was saying back then, she could have stopped her classmates from judging Izuku so harshly or at least suppressed their stares and rudeness. She felt like she was responsible and that weighed her down. Mina needed to clear her head and fucking _breathe_. She was so absorbed in her own troubles that she failed to notice the humming that softly buzzed in the air. The sweet rhythmic breaths of air being sent into the tranquil atmosphere calmed Mina and put her at ease.

"_Humming..where's it coming from?" _she thought. She walked in a confused riddle like way to find the source of the sound. She finally found it and she was pleasantly surprised by what she saw. Mina saw Izuku laying on the emerald blades of grass, free as the birds in the sky. The sky was a gorgeous blend of soft maroons and hues of oranges that enlaced itself with cornflower blue. The birds and the bees flew in perfect time with the music of Izuku's humming and the whistling of the wind. His face was, for once, relaxed and he carried a soft expression with his big, round eyes that matched the grass as he then opened them to find Mina looking right at him. Such a divine sight. Izuku just sighed and darted his eyes about her face. Like he was a machine analysing the human face.

"_Tear-stained face, puffy eyes, uneven breathing, trembling lips, wandering outside..From the looks of things, she's been crying and finally found out that All for One really had died."_ he thought, playing with a daisy.

"M-Mr. Midoriya.. I just wanted to say-" her sentence was cut off by Izuku. He simply said nothing, but made a cross with his index fingers over his lips and then pointed to the sky, then reverted his eyes to the sky. The reflection in his eyes shimmered in glory and wonder.

"_Oh.."_ Mina thought. She smiled softly and sat beside Izuku so she too could gaze at the the constant, abiding sky.

I breathed in my own words in disgust, now even I wait for our eternal farewell.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter thirty - **_Tales from Fools and Sages_

Gathered at Takoba National Stadium, hundreds and thousands of students from unique hero schools thrived in excitement and nervousness for the most anticipated _Provisional License_ _Exam_. Students grabbing onto each other with determined looks on their faces while others decided staying in solitude as they thought it was the best option. Getting distracted wasn't going to help anyone, it never has and it never will. Class 1-A had confident expressions as they looked around at the other schools, who had dreadful scowls in return.

"Guys, I'm kinda nervous for this exam." said Uraraka in worry. "Plus we are kinda hated here, haha.."

"Uraraka-chan, don't worry! They won't do anything to us, plus we're here for the exam, not to fight schools." replied Tsuyu, smiling at her.

"_I can feel someone glaring at me from a distance. Such a hateful, hot glare is being aimed at me and I can feel it." _thought Todoroki. He had gotten used to feeling hate, due to his family background. But this hate was a new one, fueled by something toxic that he didn't know the contents of. He didn't know who it was from and why they were targeting him but it was really getting on his nerves. Nevertheless he chose to ignore it.

"I'm so damn fired up..I might explode!" cried Kirishima, activating his quirk in a flaring joy.

"You better be, Kirishima because we're going to pass this exam. It's not up for discussion, you hear me?" Bakugou said with a chilling grin. Everyone was in a good mood and chatting away with their friends about whatever and whatever but Mina just stared at the ceiling in a dopey daze as she could not get the image of Izuku out of her head, she couldn't stop thinking about his calm, pretty face looking at the lovely sky. She couldn't stop thinking about how they didn't speak at all during their cloud watching, though words were not required and not at all needed to describe how breath-taking the experience was for her, for words of the human tongue would tarnish the scenery. She took great interest in Izuku, though it was not fed with romance or by sexual desire. She just wanted to sit with him for an eternity with nothing but that beautiful scene and him to keep her company. She wished it could have lasted forever.

She smiled.

Sero looked at Mina in a puzzled way.

"Mina, what are you smiling at? You look way too calm to be at this exam! What're you thinking about anyway?" he asked.

Mina shook her head, causing her thoughts to scatter and merge with each other.

"Huh? Nothing, really. I'm just...you know what? Nothing." she replied in a mixture of tones.

"_She's acting a bit dreamy and acting very weird...Not like her.." _Sero thought in suspicion. He remembered how she went outside yesterday after crying her eyes out. Perhaps it was something to do with that?

"Sero, you look so weird when you're contemplating like that! Go back to being dumb..!" she said laughing.

"Haaah?! I'm not dumb, you're dumb. Wanna fight it out or something?" he said in a jokey way, instantly forgetting his troubled thoughts on Mina's mood. He was just imagining it all, it was just his imagination. They laughed on and on until their mouths and stomach were sore. The mood just kept lightening up!

"Hey, look at U.A." whispered a blond girl. "They look so relaxed, as if they will beat us. They probably think they will all pass and beat us, they're looking down on us."

"Yeah, it's so annoying. But they'll be shell shocked when they realise what'll happen later.." giggled a shorter girl. That caused Bakugou to click his tongue and give death glares to the girls. Iida was ready to scold Bakugou for showing such disrespect and went on and on about how they were _'ambassadors for the school' _ and this and that but Uraraka stopped him out of second-hand embarrassment. Whispers were floating about while judgemental stares were thrown around and 1-A were feeling the heat. There was now a competitive atmosphere in the stadium. This irritated Aizawa.

"_Won't they shut up? I can't have my class feeling pressure and angst all because of some annoying teenag-" _his thoughts were cut short by a certain someone.

"Pardon me, Ketsubutsu Academy," blurted Izuku calmly but with a cold tone that shook some of the students in fear. "But could you refrain from negative speech about my class? It'll take a toll on them mentally and ruin their performance. You're doing all of this test to be heroes, are you not? So, stop acting like envious villains and suck it up."

That caused a mini silence to come over the students of both 1-A and Ketsubutsu. Izuku turned away his gaze from the students and looked towards the horizon of nowhere. 1-A were starstruck at what they had just heard and Aizawa was just as surprised, so much so that his eyes widened and it looked like he would activate his quirk.

"Mr. Midoriya..!" said Jirou in delight. The class beamed in glee at Izuku, their harsh quiet teacher, sticking up for them when he rarely ever spoke at all. Bakugou just looked away with no reaction, making Kirishima laugh, earning him a friendly smack.

"I didn't think you had it in you, Midoriya. Guess you have some heart under all that blackness, huh." commented Aizawa in a joking way.

"It wasn't for you. Their annoying voices were piercing my eardrums." said Izuku putting on his mask to match the rest of his villain attire and probably to hide his slight embarrassment. Aizawa said nothing more but gave a small smirk.

"_He's changing. Slowly, but surely." _he thought. The now glad, positive atmosphere gave Mina, Iida, Uraraka and the rest of 1-A new hope. A new hope that they'd all get their licenses and a new hope that Izuku just _just_ might become a real teacher to them. A teacher that loved and helped his students. A teacher that would always be there to help them in times of need and when they were in need of encouragement. But that was a revolution that mightn't happen. That didn't matter, though, because the thought of that alone was enough to make everyone more jovial.

Half of Ketsubutsu hushed themselves in shame and mortification at being called a villain, but the other half were furious and drunk with adrenaline.

"Hm? And who the fuck do you think you are?" yelled a student who was a little taller than Izuku. "Another stuck up U.A student that needs to be knocked a peg or two down? Don't worry, let me help you!" The student created a long sharp sword from his hand and swung it towards Izuku, not caring about who would get hurt in the process.

"_What a fool, can't he see the people around him will get unnecessarily hurt?" _Izuku thought. Aizawa and someone else were about to step in and help Izuku to stop the fight but it was redundant as Izuku could handle himself fine.

He, instead of dodging the sword, grabbed the blade of the student's sword and held onto it with not even a bit of effort. Aizawa's faced flared up in horror upon seeing Izuku's hand start to bleed. Students from Ketsubutsu and U.A were about to shout and scream at the student causing the violence, especially U.A. The student was baffled in shock at what he was seeing and began to sweat.

"_Shit, shit. This is bad! This will surely affect my record and chance of being a hero..But how is this U.A kid holding up against it like that?" _he thought. Izuku tightened his grip on the sword, drawing even more blood.

"You," said Izuku in a disgusted, passionless but calm and collected voice. "See what you have caused in the midst of your anger? Suppress your damned quirk and be aware of your surroundings. Had it not been me to stop you, you could have hurt someone. Also, I'm not a student, I'm a teacher." finished Izuku, removing his bloodied hand from the blade and letting it drip on the floor with an unemotional look in his hollow green eyes. He knew when to fight and he knew when not to. This was a thoughtless kid who was still emotional and angry all the time, Izuku knew that it wasn't right or okay to kill a kid because of his hormones.

The students immediately turned a ghostly white at what they heard and the whole of Ketsubetsu had extremely worried faces as they had just heard that one of their own students had injured a U.A teacher and evoked a fight.

Suddenly, two students from the school emerged to the meet with Izuku and apologize.

"Uhm...Sir or Miss - I mean Sir!...I'm Tatami Nakagame and this is Yo Shindo. We are greatly, truly sorry for injuring you and trying to fight out of anger. Nasamura here is known for being easily provoked. We apologize on behalf of him to both you and U.A." said a blonde girl, who was Nakagame. They gave a 90 degree bow to Izuku and the rest of the class including Aizawa.

"It's fine, really. We are heroes and we understand how pumped up and excited this...Nasamura was. Just make sure he doesn't do it again, so please, stop bowing." said Aizawa. Reluctantly, Shindo and Nakagame stopped bowing and gave half-smiles before leaving. Before 1-A could even say anything, Yokumiru Mera spoke and began to explain the rules of the test. Izuku walked away in the other direction as he had to leave and go to the stadium to watch the students. It took Aizawa a few seconds to notice that Izuku was walking. When he noticed, he walked too. Walking down the quiet hallway, Izuku walked in an unfazed manner even when he had a bleeding hand and a stoic face. Aizawa thought for a while, looking at Izuku walk.

"_That's the second time Midoriya sacrificed himself and got badly hurt in the process of helping someone. I mean, I say he was 'hurt' but he was comeplety fine both times. First All Might and now a fucking sword. It makes me wonder how many times he's been so tragically hurt in his small life as a kid and a villain to just walk off being crushed under cement and cut deeply with a sword. Speaking of wondering about him.." _thought Aizawa.

"Midoriya." said Aizawa. He got a 'hm' in reply so went on talking. "How did you know about All for One's death? You knew about it before anybody else and it was on the news after you said it. I don't get it and I need answers. It's not just me who's wondering, Nezu and other heroes are asking questions."

Izuku kept walking but his pace slowed down. He knew the question would pop up at some point and he had nothing to hide.

"Well, I got a letter from Tragedy. I have a few connections with him." replied Izuku indifferently. Instantly, Aizawa's posture stiffened and he looked very concerned.

"Tragedy? Did you say Tragedy, Midoriya?" asked Aizawa in disbelief. "As in the Tragedy that massacred Tartarus, killed All for One and runs Hades? What in the world was going on during that villain life of yours? That's..that's fucking insane..Midoriya, do you realise how powerful and how downright _dangerous _that man is? This is..wow. Fuck." said Aizawa, rubbing his temples.

"_I had a hunch that Midoriya could have been mixed up with some dangerous villains but this...this is absolutely crazy. How is he still alive and why did Tragedy send a letter to him? When did this even happen - shit. I've got too many questions..I'll be sure to tell Nezu to hold some meeting or something." _thought Aizawa in perplexity. Izuku could see how stupefied and caught off guard Aizawa was, and it humoured him greatly. If only Aizawa himself experienced all that Izuku had gone through when he was in Hades.

"You coming?" Izuku nonchalantly said. Aizawa then realised he was just standing in the middle of a dimly lit hallway and continued to stroll on. The two of them walked up some stairs and sat in a random row of maroon seats but didn't notice that there was someone else there. Izuku didn't really care who sat next to him so he sat down peacefully. Aizawa, on the other hand, twitched his eyes in exasperation.

"You've got to be kidding.." he mumbled under his breath. Izuku took no notice of what was going on and waited for the students to begin the exam.

"Aizawa! What luck to see you here!" exuberantly teased a lady with green hair and a cheeky grin. "Why aren't you talking? Cat's got your tongue?" she laughed vividly. "Who's this gloomy boy with you? Your son?" she laughed again!

"_I thought it would be quiet but of course, I never get anything I want. Whatever." _thought Izuku in frustration. The students started to flood into the stadium and began their exam.

"Joke. Of course you're here, Ketsubutsu's teacher." responded Aizawa.

"You still haven't answered my question! Who's the kid? Hey, buddy! Why aren't you out there? Too scared? Aww." she exclaimed.

"I'm not a student, I'm a teacher."

"Ah..Aizawa?" questioned Joke. She was very shocked to hear how mundane Izuku's voice was when he had such an angelic face. Aizawa nodded in confirmation to Joke's query. She momentarily frowned but then smiled in a sinister way.

"Aizawa, have you told them about the crushing of U.A? If you love 'em so much you should've!" Joke said. Izuku's eyes turned to look at her and then back to the students fighting.

"_Crushing of U.A, huh. Sounds a bit brutal for a hero based exam."_ thought Izuku. _"Probably about defeating U.A first, because their quirks were displayed on TV, then getting on with the test. Well, good luck with that Shiketsu and Kestubutsu."_

"'_The Crushing of U.A_'. There wasn't a particular reason I didn't tell them about it." said Aizawa plainly. "But in the end, it wouldn't change what they had to do. They just have to overcome everything." they both looked towards the student's fighting. "A hero is someone who can turn around a bad situation. In the first place, if they became heroes, then everyone would already know their quirks, so I'm sorry, but we look a little further ahead than everyone else."

Joke looked serious for a little then smirked.

"Jeez, I didn't you loved them that much, you dad." she sank into her seat. The three of them sat in silence for a while and Izuku starting to analyse the situation.

"_Seeing as Kacch- Bakugou isn't showing any leadership skills or being resilient at all, he will fail phase two. Todoroki and that fired up Shiketsu kid will fail as well, they aren't getting on at all and have opposing quirks. The Shiketsu kid really has a dark, burning hate for Todoroki. I can see it in his eyes from here. I daresay I can even feel it. However, that's the aura of a villain, he needs to get rid of that and fast."_ Izuku thought.

"I wonder who'll win first. Mine or yours Aizawa." said Joke competitively.

"Mine, they're stronger and more experienced." said Aizawa. Joke got noticeably offended.

"Aizawa, I know you love them, but don't take my students as pushovers."

Then, out of the blue, Izuku spoke in a dull tone.

"Two of 1-A's strongest students and that animated Shiketsu kid will not pass."

That caused both Joke and Aizawa to turn to Izuku in shock. He just spoke out of nowhere saying people would fail, it was quite incredible.

"What? What's your name and how do you know that?" asked Joke accusingly.

"Midoriya. See for yourself why, Joke. Shikestu and Todoroki are in a deep rooted row while Bakugou is..well it's self-explanatory." he said simply then shut his eyes to try and rest. At first, Aizawa and Joke were confused that those three strong students would lose to such petty reasons but then they both saw that what Izuku had said was true. Joke was in awe while Aizawa was only half-surprised. It was like everything Izuku said came true, Magic Lips!

"Hey, hey! Midoriya, how did yo-" she shut up after seeing that Izuku was asleep. Aizawa was quite surprised himself to see such an adorable face Izuku had when he wasn't scowling or glaring at them scornfully. Oh, if eyes could kill.

"Ooh! His face, his face! I'm going to touch it.." Joke was about to prod Izuku cheek until he stopped her by pure reflex. He then nearly punched her until Aizawa's bindings beat him to it.

"Midoriya, you almost assaulted Joke over a prod. Calm down." scolded Aizawa. Midoriya quickly came to his senses with a look of innocent, geniune shock on his face and acknowledged what he had done. He bowed before getting up; the exam had finished.

"I'm going to see the students." he said before walking off. Once Izuku had finally left, Joke gave Aizawa a serious look of concern and curiosity on her face.

"Aizawa, something's different about that boy. Why..why's he so sad? It was like a thick blanket of wretched agony was thrown over me with no warning at all." she said.

Aizawa looked to the ground. "Indeed, he is a sad person. He's the way he is for different reasons that are beyond the line of mere 'experience'. He's been through alot, Joke. But let me tell you now, he is changing for the better. Had you seen him before, you would have thought of him as a real...a real _villain_ of a man." Aizawa said with a hint of pride. He then spoke with clear aspiration that surprised even Joke.

"He's getting better, Joke. He is. So, I'm going to be patient, as should we all."

1-A was a melting pot of emotions. Some were merry with pure blithe and glowing with triumph, while others were saddened in utter defeat and were blue in the face. The remainder were giddy in a compound of emotions that were quite indescribable. But there were two students who were in none of those categories but were undoubtedly irked.

"Bakugou, Todoroki. I'd like to speak with you both, come here." said Izuku, walking towards a more secluded area. Bakugou had to be pushed by Kirishima with great force for him to follow Izuku, but Todoroki obeyed pacifically.

"Todoroki, I'm sure you're aware but your downfall was that you decided to idiotically argue with a student from another school during a fight and an exam." Izuku reprimanded. "Do you understand that if that had been a real life fight with someone, you might have gotten hurt? Or on the flip side, if you were collaborating with him? It won't be good for either of you in the long run if you fight with those you don't like in dire situations. Perhaps you weren't the one at fault, but be the bigger person and try to avoid situations like that. You're going to be a hero, Todoroki." concluded Izuku firmly.

Bakugou and Todoroki were both dumbfounded when they heard Izuku talk in such a teacher-like way. Todoroki minutely smirked.

"_Finally, he's acting like a teacher and not scaring us." _he thought in relief.

"Yes, Mr. Midoriya." and with that Todoroki left. Now, it was just Bakugou and Izuku. Bakugou had such a great look of contempt dyed onto his face that Izuku ought to give him an award for it.

"Bakugou. I'll keep this simple and short. You lost today because of how disordered you were and that you didn't take your surroundings into account at all. Because of that, someone very well could have died, had it been real life. Your leadership skills are all over the place and you don't listen to anybody, you urgently need to fix this, Bakugou." said Izuku formally.

"Don't act all teacher-teacher with me, Deku. Don't m-" snapped Bakugou. His words were cut by Izuku's sharp, alarming tone of voice.

"I'm dead serious. Do you understand me? I'm serious."

Bakugou grit his teeth in wary and impatience.

"Anyway," said Izuku regaining composure. "Work on your leadership skills and circumspect and you'll become a better hero. It shouldn't be so hard, considering your strength and quirk." with that, Izuku walked off first. Then, it was just Bakugou. He was left feeling underestimated and badly hurt, with a sting wringing his body slyly. He just didn't get it. Izuku was a Deku; he was useless, good-for-nothing! A waste of space! So how on this planet had he gotten so strong? How did he become a villain? Why did he-

"_Deku is stronger than you, Katsuki." _giggled a voice in his head. It was a childish voice, and was rightfully the voice of a child. It sounded like Bakugou when he was in kindergarten and that angered him so much.

"Damn it. Why'd he look down on me like that? Deku's weak, he is. Trying to act all good and like a teacher..what's up with that..? Why the hell is he so strong now? Fuck. Is he trying to pick a fight? If that's what you want Deku, I'll serve it out cold for you soon." he grumbled then walked back to the rest of the class.

Once everyone got back, they ate and ate and ate and ate! It was so glorious to eat so greatly after getting their licences. It was a warm, jolly feeling that was mutually shared amongst everyone. They truly wanted to keep on feeling it. After that, the students went straight to bed because they were certainly knackered after an eventful day as such. Aizawa phoned Nezu to tell him of the happening that day and then went to sleep himself.

That left Izuku. He then started at his hand in blankness.

"What is happening to me?"

Why can't you just pick one! This one, or that one? Don't confuse me like this.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter thirty-one - **_Aah, have his eyes been opened yet?_

Waking up from a restless slumber of conflict and contemplation, Izuku sits up and stares at the blank wall before him. The wall was so plain, so simple. It cleared his mind and caused him to envy the strange blank wall, for it needn't experience the provoking ways of human emotion. He remembered the unusual way he was behaving a few hours ago and cringed in confusion and disappointment.

"_I..I helped 1-A. I sat and gazed with Mina..I reprimanded them like an ordinary teacher would." _Izuku thought.

Why had he done it? If it was just jail time, why put the extra effort into it? Izuku knew that putting the extra effort into the whole 'teacher' act would only benefit the students, not him. Wouldn't that be a waste of his time? But..perhaps that was exactly the reason he helped 1-A; perhaps he wanted his actions to benefit...others. Just the thought of such a sweet gesture sent a sour chill down his spine and a disgusted feeling in his stomach. It was such a strange feeling, to feel sickness when in health, to do good when bad, to comply to the enemy. To even have your number one tormentor obey you, though in reluctance! The world's flipping upside-down, and a bit too quickly for Izuku's liking.

It wasn't like he liked being bullied by Bakugou, quite the opposite actually, that was why Izuku lusted for the feeling of beating him up in return for what happened to him. But..the change in Bakugou was too sharp, too surreal. Why had he changed? Couldn't Bakugou just stay aggressive and prideful as usual? Did he really have to change like that?

Ah. It wasn't Bakugou who had changed, it was Izuku.

At the thought, Izuku clutched at his chest so hard that he wagered it would simply burst into white flames. He punched the calm, faultless wall hard and angrily with his teeth clenched, like a snake would bare its fangs. His heart thumped loudly in his ears and his body welled up in frustration and anger.

"_Make it stop, make it stop..!" _he thought. _"I didn't change..i-it's..it's Kacchan who changed...that's right! It's Kacchan.." _

Izuku tried and tried and tried and tried again to convince himself of this self-deprecating lie that Bakugou was to blame, Bakugou was the one who had changed, not him. But the more he tried to act upon this facade of emotion, the more he lost hope in himself. The once fast and furious punches that were pounded into the wall were now sluggish and soft and quite truly filled with misery while his face was painted to look like a man who had lost it all; the eyes of a man who had seen himself for who he really was. Like when Dorothy moves the curtain to see the Wizard of Oz for who he truly is; a broken, scared coward.

Izuku then chuckled darkly with his hand covering his face in shame.

"So I can't even rid myself of emotion for you, Mom and Dad?" whispered Izuku to the wall, as if they were his parents. "The one thing that you gave me, the one thing I didn't deserve...ahh, it's all coming back to me. I'm so sorry."

The white noise that filled the room was calm and collected, the atmosphere was quiet and lonely but frankly enlightened. Izuku felt forlorn, like he'd _'seen it all'. _What was this..?

Izuku attempted to force himself to go back to sleep and escape to the land of dreams where the shackles of society were no longer bound to him. A place where one could fly, run, jump, sing, dance as free as a dove. A utopia just meant for him and maybe someone else.

"_Someone else.."_ he thought, with a dazed stare at the deep cut on his hand. Almost as if to reply to him, his thoughts gathered images of Mina sitting on the emerald glass with him, looking content and sincerely happy to be at peace for even a few minutes. Izuku had never seen anyone look that _liberated_ and so _free_ before. It was such a fresh, rejuvenating feeling that Izuku could almost feel gravity losing its toll on him. But he then remembered his parents. Was it really fair that Izuku was thinking of a glorious utopia over yonder when he was the cause of his parent's death? It was like all the brief but benevolent moments of his life were cut short because of his parents. Like they were the invisible shackles holding izuku down back to earth, not even allowing his mind to wander free. Izuku didn't know that though, he just treated his situation as punishment. He harshly bit his lip, causing it to bleed.

"_I can't even lie down like this, not like this. I need to get out.." _ he thought in laze. He got up and scratched his hair, craving something bitter to reflect his emotions. As it was very early in the morning, he knew nobody would be awake so he walked to the kitchen for coffee as quiet as a slender cat. But he was quite wrong, for somebody was lurking in the shadows.

As Izuku stepped into the kitchen he froze and hardened his expression in caution. He heightened his senses.

"_An increasing heart rate, breathing rather quickly...I can feel this person's eyes corroding into my…" _he thought hard. _"...my neck and quite furiously at that." _Izuku then smirked maliciously. _"Maybe to kill me. This person must have quite the nerve to aim for my neck while knowing of my roaring potential. It must be…"_

Izuku then nonchalant poured his coffee with a bored expression on his features, like the person wasn't even a threat.

"Bakugou, come out."

Bakugou flinched at being found out when Izuku hadn't even turned his back to face him, how insulting!

"What?" he uttered in slight embarrassment. "What do you want, Deku?"

"Bakugou, it's too early for breakfast or whatever you came here for." said Izuku staring at the black, still coffee in absence. "Go back to be-"

"Don't give me that shit!" shouted Bakugou in suddenness that made even Izuku's eyes widen in surprise. "Stop acting like your my damned teacher! I have had enough of this crap. Follow me outside." and with that Bakugou walked the opposite direction to go outside. Izuku followed him, not even touching his coffee, as he didn't have anything better to do. He yawned and put his hands in his pockets as he walked behind Bakugou.

"_This reminds me of when we were younger. I was constantly walking behind him, trying so desperately to run and catch even the shadow of him even if I couldn't catch up to his actual body. Now look at us."_ thought Izuku. Before he realised it, they were outside. The sky was a dark pearl that was as clear and honest as dew. The moon gave a chalky light to the city as it glowed in hypnotism and wonder. The trees hissed and shivered at being groped coldly by the wind while the grass looked upset and arched in the caliginosity of the setting. It was in complete contrary to the scenery that he had seen with Mina.

"Why'd you bring me out here, Bakugou?" asked Izuku after prolonged periods of silence.

"What happened after you went missing?" asked Bakugou calmly, though his emotions were still seething through. "The real reason."

There was this odd feeling of genuinity in Bakugou's voice that Izuku had never heard before, it was intriguing him by the second.

"_I'll tell him." _he thought. As much as he didn't like Bakugou, he was the one person who needed to know.

"Well, I'll tell you just that. I'll tell the real truth to you." said Izuku, clenching his fists to surpress his frustration. "My parents died and I burned my home down. I packed a few clothes and something special from my dad and left to sleep in the alleys, perhaps on the day you were attacked by the Sludge Villain." siad Izuku with no emotion. "I woke up happy with a clear goal set in mind, I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to reunite with my parents, Bakugou. I wanted to kill myself, so I tried to. The League saved me from doing that. I did this and that and was caught by the heroes. Done."

Bakugou's pupils were now dilated and insanely huge. His heart pounded in his chest, and surfaced to his throat in guilt. Wasn't this his fault? Woah, wait..suicide, his parents dying, saved? Sudden strength? What on earth was happening to Bakugou and what on earth had happened to Izuku? Bakugou's breathing patterns become choppy and he stumbled back a bit, still in shock.

"_Buillshit. I call bullshit. Killed him- nah. My ears must be fucked up.."_ thought Bakugou.

"You..you went through all that? It's no wonder you're this strong now.." he whispered under his breath.

"So, what did you bring me out here for?" casually asked Izuku.

"_I need to confirm his strength now..then I will know for sure whether or not I'm weak...if I'm being looked down on..." _thought Bakugou.

"I came to fight you, you bastard, Now," growled Bakugou.

"Come at me..!"

"You asked for this.." mumbled Izuku. Izuku dashed at an inhuman speed towards Bakugou and punched him square in the jaw, causing Bakugou to stumble backwards before regaining his composure and trying to roundhouse kick Izuku. That failed and Izuku took advantage of the new opening to knee Bakugou in the groin and kicking him in the chest, knocking the wind out of Bakugou. He fell backwards, but his pride helped him back up again. Bakugou then almost kicked Izuku in the face, but failed by a few centimeters.

"_He's improved."_ Izuku smirked. _"Good."_

Bakugou witnessed Izuku's smirk and interpreted it as an underestimation. That made him even more angry. Bakugou got his explosions ready once again but fueled by his emotions, he used his Howitzer Impact technique on Izuku, which he had to take head on. But that didn't do much damage to the blanket of scars on Izuku's body. Izuku had been through a lot. He'd been through so much and fought such great opponents in his life that Bakugou's Howitzer Impact was nothing more than a love touch.

Bakugou then became rather dizzy and was losing a little balance, but that would not knock him down so easily. Izuku then ran around in circles around Bakugou very quickly, like Izuku had done to Sonowataga in Hades, making Bakugou totter and gasp in greedily for air.

"_Bastard's got, what, ten afterimages? How..how did this happen? He shouldn't have gotten..this strong. It's pissing me off.." _thought Bakugou.

"Bakugou? Hey, you look pretty weak right now. What's up with that?" Izuku's head cocked to the side. "Come on, you were the one who proposed this fight, so fight me properly. Or are you too feeble and tired? Ha." the afterimages suddenly began to grin in an annoying way, that further grew Bakugou's irritation. After Izuku stopped circulating around Bakugou, he got emotional and began to throw sloppy, reckless attacks at Izuku, who easily dodges them, deepening Bakugou's anger and sadness. It was like Izuku was invincible. _Untouchable._ Izuku caught onto this and stood still, stopping the fight.

"You got stronger, Bakugou." said Izuku calmly, as he twirled his hair around his finger. "But your attacks are all over the place."

Bakugou clenched his fists like anything, with tears daring to come out of his eyes. He felt like he was being shunned even though it was supposedly just him and Izuku standing on that dark night.

"Don't get all big headed because you're strong now, you bastard. I get now okay?" Bakugou croaked, though tears didn't yet slide down his cheeks. "This is my karma for beating you up all those years back then, isn't it? Well, now I get it. I'm..I'm weak and you're strong. I knew that you were looking down on me. You disappeared, came back and now you're stronger than ever. You don't have to fucking shove it in my face. Bastard..."

Bakugou looked to the ground in shame with his balled, white fists shaking like the leaves on the oak trees surrounding them. His teeth were clenched and his posture remained lowly and pitiable. Izuku seeing Bakugou in such a state was..quite the sight. He had murdered people, seen his parents die, joined the League, Been to Hades, met All for One, faced Tragedy and attempted suicide twice but seeing Bakugou so vulnerable and raw and emotional was indescribable. It reminded Izuku that Bakugou was human as well.

"You know.." said Izuku. He didn't lie and couldn't lie. He just never lied. "You are strong. I mean it. You are undoubtedly potent but," Izuku grinned like a kid. "I'm stronger than you."

"Haaah?!" growled Bakugou with his puffy red eyes. He still had drops of guilt lingering in his body but the nervousness that he previously birthed had quickly vanished. "Are you trying to pick a fight? Let's go-"

Then, suddenly an image emerged from a tree.

"I think there's been enough of that, Bakugou." said a slender blonde man, chuckling.

"All Might? When did you get here?" questioned Bakugou. Izuku just leaned on a tree with his hands in his pockets.

"_It's about time. I was wondering when he would stop hiding behind that poor tree."_ thought Izuku.

"Well, I heard people going outside so I followed to see what was happening and then I saw the two of you fighting, and might I say..it was...something." said All Might rubbing his neck and awkwardly laughing. Then his face darkened.

"Bakugou, how many times do I have to tell you that you are strong? How many, huh? You are strong, you are strong, you are strong, you are strong! You are one of the strongest pupils in 1-A and the entirety of the first years in general, so you shouldn't be so self-critical. You won't get any better as a hero if you can't compliment yourself once in a while, even if you don't believe it..it will happen! I, and the rest of the teachers, know of the horrific torments you put Midoriya through during your Middle School years,and we are utterly disgusted with what you did to him, though now I know that it was due to your minor inferiority complex." explained All Might. "Midoriya here has been through some mentally destructive training and gone through many things that many pros would flinch at the thought of, so he will of course be stronger and more experienced than you. But that's okay! You have so much more room to grow, Bakugou..!" said All Might encouragingly.

Bakugou glanced at Izuku, who was looking at his feet, then turned to leave the premises.

"Tch. Whatever. I'm tired, night." said Bakugou more calmly as he walked away with a softer expression than usual, though no less aggressive. That just left Izuku and All Might.

"You did the right thing, Midoriya. You truly are becoming better, like a teacher." All Might smiled warmly. "I'm so glad you came to U.A."

Izuku's eyes spontaneously looked up and his mouth was slightly agape at All Might's tone of voice. His words were so drenched in compassion and genuine warmth that Izuku had to turn around to the other direction just so All Might wouldn't see his small smile.

"It's still early, I'm.. going to go now." and with that, Izuku left the way he came. That left just All Might, the stars and the moon.

"You truly are a hero, Midoriya." All Might whispered to himself.

From dusk to dawn, class 1-A buzzed around the classrooms in excitement for their next lesson. Maybe they were excited because of their energy? Perhaps it was the sleep? Could be the food too… A-Anyway! Some pupils were dotted around the room talking to their friends while some, such as Todoroki, Tokoyami and Shoji, were trying to get those extra few minutes of sleep to prepare for whatever lessons they were taking.

"I heard we are doing our hero lessons today guys! I'm pumped!" exclaimed Mina as she stretched. She was especially excited to once again see Izuku teaching them new techniques to fight the villains. Two birds with one stone.

"Yup, and I got plenty of rest so that today I won't feel tired and under the weather, as should you all have!" said Yaoyorozu in a motherly way.

"Ah, YaoMomo, I didn't sleep or prepare for today at all.." said Hagakure. "Now I feel bad about it, aghh." Yaoyorozu pouted and scolded her playfully. Iida and Uraraka were discussing what they would learn with Izuku that day.

"Mr. Midoriya is sooo strong, right? Like he can defeat anybody in this class and he's so cool and aloof. I'm so jealous..!" said Uraraka punching the air.

"Indeed, Mr. Mirdoriya is strong. But he is also kind, and very selfless. He's so selfless that he has put himself in peril danger twice. Remember? People tend to overlook the good he does and just label him a villain when he truly is a kind person at heart. But I do want to work on my close combat skills." Iida then stood up dramatically and did a chopping motion in the air. "I can't keep running forever, Uraraka..!"

"Yes, yes, you're right, now sit down..please haha.." mumbled Uraraka as she tried to muffle her laughter. After minutes of idle chatter, the godforsaken bell rang, which alerted the class that the lessons were going to begin so they all went to their seats.

Out of the door appeared Aizawa and Izuku walking in and they both looked very bored and uninterested.

"Morning, class. Today you guys are going to learn about close-ranged combat on the battlefield and during fights in general. Villains nowadays are becoming smarter and more skilled on one-to-one fighting so that's what I'm teaching you. Questions? No? Okay, get changed and let's go." and with that Izuku waited by the door, Aizawa tailing him.

Kaminari snickered, though.

"Oi, oii! Kirishima, doesn't Mr. Midoriya look like a mini version of Mr. Aizawa? I mean Mr. Midoriya has longer hair and Mr. Aizawa is taller but still! It's so ridiculous that it's funny, dude." whispered Kaminari.

"You're right, now that you mention it, they do look awfully similar. And they act similar too, haha."

Once everyone had finished changing, they went downstairs to the gym and everyone noticed that the equipment had been moved to the far corners of the room, leaving a vast space of room.

"_What's he planning to do..?" _thought Todoroki.

"Now, as I explained upstairs, we are doing close-ranged combat. With things like martial arts, actions are the only way to properly explain what to do, but I'll still try my best to verbally help people. To demonstrate any martial arts or close-combat, I'd like the best martial artist in your class." said Izuku blandly. Aizawa eyed Izuku before stepping aside, for he knew what would happen.

Instantly, everyone in the room looked towards Ojiro to go up. Ojiro light blushed at being stared at by so many people at once. It was quite alien!

"W-What..?"

"Dummy!" said Hagakure. "You are the best martial artist in the class, you can go up for us and fight Mr. Midoriya..!"

"Ehh..? Ah, why does it have to be me..ah.." mumbled Ojiro, feeling sorry for himself. He didn't know what to expect from his striking villain teacher when it came down to martial arts, he was definitely nervous. But, he immediately stood up straight in a respectable manner.

"_No...The class chose me to represent them, they trust me. I can't betray that..I'm going to win this for them." _thought Ojiro.

Ojiro stepped forward to Izuku and bowed.

"Thanks for the fight, Teacher!"**** ** and with that, the fight commenced. Ojiro began by swinging his tail under Izuku's feet to try and trip him up, which was to no avail as Izuku jumped in the air in perfect timing and kicked Ojiro in the face.

"_He is actually very strong..Not to be underestimated."_ thought Ojiro. Then he hit Izuku with an uppercut elbow strike that Izuku couldn't predict in time, so he took the hit and felt only a dot of pain. Izuku immediately recognised the type of martial arts Ojiro was doing.

"_Muay Thai, huh..good, good."_ thought Izuku. In respect for knowing how to truly fight, Izuku also fought using Muay Thai. He gave a front elbow thrust to Ojiro's pancreas then thrust his foot in Ojiro's jawline, causing him to temporarily tumble over. Ojiro regained his balance to give a reverse roundhouse kick to Izuku, who jumped up high in the air and delivered the final blow: an axe kick. Ojiro was left aching on the floor before Izuku helped him up again.

"Ojiro, you are very talented in the field of martial arts, continue to grow and perhaps you'll become even stronger." said Izuku deadpanned.

"Thanks, Mr. Mirodiya.." said Ojiro, rubbing the back of his neck.

"_I would have felt better if you said it with more enthusiasm, though.."_ he thought and went to stand with his classmates.

"I'm sure you now understand what you have to do today, now that you have seen Ojiro fighting. Ojiro and I fought using a martial art field called Muay Thai. Research it when you leave. Now, everyone will fight me the same as Ojiro did."

Everyone was silent for a few seconds when Izuku said that, for they couldn't understand what he said. Aizawa just shook his head and sat down. Then, like belated clockwork, the class finally understood what Izuku meant. Todoroki's expression was no longer one of muddle, but now of comprehension.

"_He wants all of us at once? Is he crazy? We won't learn anything.."_ thought Todoroki. Just when he thought he could understand Izuku, Todoroki found himself encaged in bewilderment! The class looked at Izuku, they understood what he was saying, but they couldn't visualise themselves fighting Izuku using martial arts, or fighting Izuku at all.

"All at once, please." said Izuku dryly.

"Guys, we might be able to do this if we do it together, we are at an advantage. He's quickless but skilled but he's against a class of powerful quirks! It's practically set in stone..!" said Kirishima trying to encourage his class.

"_Set in stone, huh." _thought Izuku blankly. _"Maybe I'll gain something from this."_

"Yes, Kirishima's right. Let's have faith in each other." said Iida getting in a fighting stance. Then, a wave of confidence and hope came over 1-A as they, too, got in fighting stances. Bakugou and Izuku's eyes met and he looked Izuku straight in the eyes, like it was some kind of competition that rivals would play together in. Bakugou's eyes were so filled with a red, ever-burning rage but was now also a healthy, red fighting spirit; he now saw Izuku as a rival. But in return, Izuku's gaze was taunting one. One that was almost childish and daring. A gaze that screamed _'you look like an expectant puppy, Katsuki. Play with your friends and see if you can beat me.'_

"That bastard!" he roared as he charged towards Izuku first. Bakugou put his hands together to concentrate his explosion and aimed for Izuku's torso. Izuku jumped into the air and the explosion landed on Kirishima, who was hardened already. Kirishima smashed his knuckles together before punching Izuku in the face and trying to sweep his leg under him. Izuku took the punch head on and again jumped into the air but this time he kicked Uraraka in the stomach, as he did for Yaoyorozu, Jirou and Hagakure. He wasn't in lethal attack mode, but he wouldn't go easy on his students either. Mineta tried to get Izuku to step on one of his purple balls, which would have worked if Todoroki hadn't created an ice kingdom at that exact moment.

"Aahh!" Mineta shouted. "Todoroki why'd you do that?"

"Sorry, but I want to fight him myself right now. I can't have him losing to anyone yet." replied Todoroki bluntly.

"_Is he suggesting that I was about to lose? I can't have that."_ thought Izuku.

Izuku darted to Todoroki at the speed of sound and kneed him in the back, making him lose his balance before getting up again. Todoroki used his fire to try and burn Izuku into submission but that would not work at all, Izuku had been burned with hotter flames. Though the fire consumed his body, he fought continuously and unfazed. Todoroki was completely stunned at how Izuku could do such a thing, he was indeed a very strong person. The rest of the class had been beaten and could only stand and watch the fight between Todoroki and Izuku. It was so enchanting and Izuku looked like an elemental god of hell as the flames burned on his skin.

"_Why's he fighting the Half-and-Half bastard properly? I'm the one that gets to beat Deku, not him for fuck's sake."_

Just when Bakugou was about to pounce on the two of them, someone grabbed his shoulder.

"W-"

"Bakubro, don't," said Kirisima seriously and his eyes gleaming. "This is their fight."

Todoroki and Izuku exchanged blows for another 15 minutes until Todoroki ran out of stamina and became tired. He fell on one knee on the floor with an eye closed.

"You… you were strong. You are quite the opponent, to have me on my knees like this." said Todoroki with a satisfied smile.

"Well, you were acting like you had already won when you hadn't even fought me, I couldn't leave it at that. You weren't bad at all, Todoroki but when you fight a real villain, do not underestimate them. It will only be your downfall, not theirs." said Izuku. "Class is dismissed, go back to the dorms."

Everyone had left feeling a little stronger, even though Izuku wasn't harmed by their attacks. It was like the dulled lightbulbs in their heads had been fully charged with an energetic one. So refreshing. Aizawa walked up to Izuku from where he was standing.

"You held back and didn't hit any pressure points," said Aizawa. "Why?"

Izuku just scoffed.

"Had I fought them seriously, they would all be dead. Why would I kill children? It seems hardly necessary to me, Aizawa. They can grow, and I can help them do that." said Izuku completely unaware of how touching that sounded. Aizawa gave a short smile.

"Well, they are seeing you as a true teacher now anyway. You know, Midoriya, you are changing. That's a good thing for both you and everyone else."

"I don't know how to respond to that but I'm leaving now." said Izuku and with that, he walked away and lifted his hand up as a goodbye. Aizawa sighed before leaving too.

Back in the dorms, everyone was watching TV in an orderly way so that nobody stepped on that catastrophic remote again. The TV was loud and the students made it louder so when Izuku went to his rom, nobody noticed him. Thankfully. Even when the building was vibrating with noise, Izuku's room seemed to be the only one that was quiet, the only one that muffled the sound and the only one that had a thoughtful wall.

But Izuku punched the wall, so it was no longer calming to look at and that bothered him. He didn't even have to speak with anyone when the wall was there because of how silent and forgiving it was, but now it was tainted and the peace was not there.

Izuku rubbed his face with his hands before losing himself in the abyss of dreams.

_(Izuku's dream)_

Izuku opened his eyes and immediately knew this was a dream. He looked at what he was wearing and his surroundings. He was in his villain attire but back in the gym. Was this a dream or not? Izuku squinted round and saw the students, Aizawa and…

"_Who the hell are they?"_ he thought. There were three people wearing U.A uniform and looked a bit older than 1-A. One had blue hair, one had black hair and one had blonde. Izuku analysed the situation a bit further until something jaw dropping happened.

"_Why.." _thought Izuku. _"Why on earth is the blonde guy naked..Is this sexual harassment? No, Aizawa would do something about it..Lord.."_

Then the blonde guy outstretched his hand to Izuku, smiling.

This is paradise, look!

**** I'm Japanese and Ojiro originally said 'yoroshiku onegaishimasu, sensei' and I didn't know how to properly translate it. That was the best english translation I could give you guys. **


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter thirty-two - **_Spilt Milk_

Gathered for yet another meeting, members of the U.A staff and a scarce number of heroes sat at the conference table awaiting whatever decision making had to be done.

"I thank you all for coming to this meeting," said Nezu, clasping his hands together with a warm smile. "I'm sure you have been informed of its purpose."

The teachers nodded and Aizawa had his usual expressionless face.

"The recent death of All for One has caused criminal activity to somewhat decrease. With nobody to watch over and dictate their moves, villains and criminals alike have been feeling quite liberated in the things they do and say. Though," he said. "...by the same coin they have been quite angst."

President Mic frowned in slight confusion. "How so? Isn't it good that the most important, formidable villain has been killed? That means freedom from being hunted down for petty things now, right?"

"Not quite, Yamada. Indeed, if the pinnacle of evil has been killed, it means that the people that have suffered and will suffer from him are free and can live without constantly looking behind their backs. But, to them and to us, it means there is a being- no an _entity_ stronger and deadlier than All for One. That in itself is terrifying to think about. It brings another problem for them. It means that the League of Villains and villains that are associated with All for One have no meaning to their lives anymore. It's dead ends everywhere for them."

"But isn't that a good thing for us?" commented Midnight looking around the room to find a couple of teachers nodding.

All Might clenched his fist under the table, only Aizawa noticed.

"_What is it, All Might?"_ he thought.

"Of course not. If anything, it's harder on us!" shouted All Might releasing his pent up frustration like an untangling knot. "It means that Tragedy will be running the underworld, causing more criminality, scared citizens and probably more tragic catastrophes. He ravaged Tartarus. Tartarus! Isn't that the most secure prison in Japan? The one that locks up the most dangerous of criminals? Well, now it's gone. Where will the dangerous criminals that are now going to appear be imprisoned? They'll roam free, Midnight. This isn't even the main reason we are having this damned conference and it's already messy. It..It's all due to Tragedy."

As All Might finished his aggravated oration, everyone present turned to face him and Midnight looked like she'd just been told of how much of an idiot she was. Aizawa just sighed as he remembered seeing All Might's hand clenched.

"_So, that was why."_ he thought. Nezu cleared his throat.

"Well, it is just as All Might says; every bit of what he said was correct, so I need not repeat it. We have to be on even higher alert and possibly conduct a citizen protection scheme for local houses, schools and hospitals. Maybe even prisons." explained Nezu, the teachers nodded and Sniper hummed.

"Now, onto the more serious part." Nezu's gaze darkened. "You are all aware of how Midoriya Izuku is within our custody, correct? Well, he predicted that All for One was dead on the XX of XXXX at XX:XXpm. He did this before any of the heroes in Japan could even find out that Tartarus had been broken into and even before All for One had been found dead. If anyone has theories they'd like to share, please do."

The teacher's eyes gaped in horror and confusion at how a young villain could have gotten their hands on such crucial information before the heroes. Their hearts beat impatiently as they all generated different theories in their heads quickly.

"Could Midoriya somehow be in contact with Tragedy?" said Cementoss. "How else would he know, unless he has some quirk we don't know about."

"Well, I got this information from Midoriya first-hand, he told me that Tragedy had sent him a letter somehow and that's how he knew." replied Aizawa. That made the heroes present turn a deadly grey with their lips sealed shut in fear and concern. It was like Tragedy's name was an evil spirit that attracted all kinds of bad omens and taboos.

"Woah, this is too much. That reveals so many more possibilities. But Tragedy? Tragedy of Hades? How the hell did a kid get involved with that monster?" said a hero, covering her mouth as if to throw up.

"Exactly. That's just so messed up. He must be deeply rooted with villains, hey are we sure we can redeem Midoriya? I mean.. This is Tragedy we are talking about." agreed another hero with flat hair. The mere thought of not being able to redeem Midoriya angered Nezu and All Might, as allowing Midoriya into U.A was meant to change him, it was meant to somehow cleanse him. But now that they found out that Midoriya was related to the man who killed All for One and destroyed Tartarus? There was only so much a human could do and there was only so many times hope would be your saviour.

"_No, I refuse to believe that Midoriya is an irrevocable villain..I can't, I won't! He just needs roses and promise. If I don't do at least one good thing for him, this guilt within me will rot and rebirth into something more conspicuous"_ thought All Might.

"Anyway," chimed in Nezu. "The fact of the matter is that Midoriya got crucial information on All for One's death and the havoc of Tartarus from of the most wanted, most dangerous criminal at the moment. Aizawa, keep a closer eye on Midoriya and make sure he isn't doing anything out of the ordinary or suspicious."

Aizawa nodded and slumped himself in his seat, his eyes closed.

"_It doesn't make sense, how could Midoriya get a letter sent to U.A from Tragedy? Our security is top-notch. Not only that, but what is the relationship between Tragedy and Midoriya? Midorya doesn't seem like the type to get all friendly with a perilous villain, could he have gone to Ha- no," _Aizawa scoffed and smirked at the thought of such an unthinkable scenario. _"That's impossible. It's absolutely impossible to get out of Hades, like that. I am an idiot to think such a thing would be possible for a 16 year old kid."_

The unthinkable, huh.

As Izuku's eyes moves in harmony with the hands of the clock, his head was filled with a plague of imagination. He imagined being a sword. His dear sword that had slayed many, the sword that held itself against Izuku's own throat, the sword that was once in contact with his father up in heaven, the sword that had greedily drank the blood of many and rejected the blood of those it found unworthy. How would it feel to be that same sword? Perhaps it would feel controlling and like a marionette, to be moved and molded and commanded of what to do all the time. Or maybe it would feel liberating to swing and slash in any direction you pleased with nobody to stop you, unless they craved a divine cut from you.

Actually, you'd still be an ordinary sword.

"Midoriya, please.." panted a male voice. "Open the door.."

Izuku delicately opened his eyes and was dragged back to reality by Naomasa's kind, determined voice.

"_Might as well open it."_ he thought. He went to open the door and saw that small strands of hairs stuck to Naomasa's face and his breathing was still slightly uneven, but he was pretty much fine now.

"Why'd you run?" asked Izuku, sitting on the black chair that was beside the door.

"_Oh, wait. Why did I run?" _thought Naomasa with a puzzled look._ "Hmm.. Oh, yeah!"_ he remembered.

"_Why does he look so confused? Does he randomly run to people's doors?"_ thought Izuku.

"I came here to tell you to get downstairs to the gym and teach. There are three new arrivals, though." said Naomasa, not to Izuku's surprise as he had a dream about the three arrivals. "Also, you are getting a wooden bo staff to use as you teach and fight in U.A. Of course, it's for non-lethal use only."

Izuku's once droopy head and dead eyes were now perked up and eagerly listening. Naomasa noticed Izuku change in expression instantly.

"_He almost looks like a child that's being brought new toys on Christmas, gosh." _thought Naomasa with a soft smile.

"Don't get too excited and break it, as that will make a sharp, jagged point at the tip of the staff and you know that the heroes don't like you, a villain, with a sharp object in hand. I mean, I say villain but-"

"I'm getting it now, right? I'm getting changed then. I've got a class to teach." said Izuku in a breath. He quickly undressed then clothed himself in his infamous yukata, tabi and geta then stared longingly at the bo staff.

"Wait, Midoriya, do you know how to even use this? You have been using a sword and your fists up until now." asked Naomasa.

"It's fine, I was taught how to use every martial arts weapon you can think of." he said blandly walking towards the door with an open hand. "Put it in my hand, Detective."

Naomasa put the staff into Izuku's hands hesitantly before Izuku walked out. Naomasa barely gazed around then left to walk in the other direction, not for a second forgetting the look on Izuku's face when he saw him. It was in complete opposition to when Naomasa initially saw him in the cell. Izuku's face wasn't as uninterested, lifeless and cold as before. Naomasa walked calmly with a smile.

In the gym, there were rounds and rounds of laughter being passed around the class along with the sweet scent of energy that seemed to concentrate and loom itself around the students. Everything was so exciting as there were three new people to teach them something that wasn't to do with villains and agility. It was important, what they were being currently taught, but it was extremely light-hearted compared to what Izuku had taught them in the short time he was at the school.

Still, the three people that were there were very potent and a certain someone would learn that soon.

While a blue haired girl was asking nonsensical questions to Mina, Izuku walked in confidently but quietly into the gym with his bo staff in hand. That immediately caught everyone's attention and caused the students to flinch, though they knew Izuku would never hurt them. Izuku's eyes danced around the bodies and faces of the three arrivals as he noticed them turn to his direction in surprise. What Izuku saw was like magic.

"_Blue-haired girl, dark-haired boy and a blonde boy. But the blonde one, why isn't he naked? It probably comes later, then.. I refuse to believe I wanted to see a person naked like that out of my free will." _he thought in disgust. Taking steps towards the group, he sat beside Aizawa, who looked at the bo staff in caution and curiosity.

"_How on earth did he get that? This is U.A and he's a villain, how he got his sticky fingers onto a weapon is beyond me..."_ Aizawa thought with his memory still fresh from the conference that was help some time ago. Izuku casually rested his chin on the staff and tapped his foot on the ground.

"Who are they?"

"The Big Three." said Aizawa, as he looked at the three students in all their wonder and glory. "They're third years in U.A and are the strongest pupils in the school and the country. Mirio Togata, the blonde boy, is the closest there is to being the number one hero, that includes heroes. Amajiki Tamaki is the sullen boy with dark hair that's facing the wall and the blue-haired girl is Hado Nejire." Aizawa started to explain in detail about the three of them and their quirks.

Izuku ran his hands through his hair and smirked cheekily.

"_They seem awfully strong; my kind of heroes. I hope they serve as good fighters, I haven't had a good fight in ages.." _thought Izuku. Aizawa saw the somewhat creepy way that Izuku looked as he stared at the Big Three. Izuku looked at them like a tamed, hungry animal that desired a ferocious brawl with the strange newcomers. Like a demon that looked hopefully at the potent angels from afar. Kind of like a painter that purely yearned for new colors to entangle itself in. Izuku was beginning to overestimate the power the three mice in front of him possessed, but that was okay because fantasies knew no bounds, for they bit into the crevice of your reality.

"Is Mirio the strongest, Aizawa?" asked Izuku quietly, trying to hide his sneer. Aizawa shivered and chuckled.

"Yeah, what about it?" teased Aizawa. Izuku's eyes glowed ominously and his smirk only showed how all the more intrigued he was. He rested his hand on his chin.

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"_Hm..Who's that? Could that be the person that villain kid Mr. Aizawa said would be attending the class as well? The one I was warned about.." _thought Mirio. _"He's emitting a really mysterious aura, like a radioactive bomb. Seems troublesome, but he'd only a kid and looks harmless."_

"I want you all to fight me, get into your groups or whatever you need to do." said Mirio, stretching his arms and taking his jumper off.

"Hehh..? But won't that be dangerous for the first years?" said Nejire floatily.

"They're way too energetic and happy..so bright." commented Amajiki in a gloomy sort of way as he faced the wall. "I wonder why the villain kid is there.."

Aizawa shot Mirio a glance that told him to hold back and Mirio nodded in response. Izuku saw the exchange of looks between the two and was even more revved up, he knew that Aizawa only ever told very, _very _capable people to hold back so this was something very strange for Izuku to hear. 1-A took Mirio's proposal as an insult and got into fighting stances.

"I still feel like you're underestimating us..!" said Kaminari.

"We have fought against villains and were even taught by one, you know. Don't take us too lightly." stated Iida, getting into position. Kirishima hardened himself and smashed his knuckles together with a vigorous grin. Bakugou grunted and got his explosions ready to fire.

"_Mr. Midoriya is watching us. No way can I, we, look like pushovers in front him..!"_ thought Iida with a strong will.

"We have been through so much as a class that we refuse to be weak like this, thank you for the fight in advance, senpai!"

"_Heh." _ thought Izuku in a condescending, sarcastic tone with an eyebrow up. Then the battle began. Before anyone could even throw an attack, Mirio had already started. He sent a blow to the jaw of Tokoyami and Shoji then somehow 'teleported' to a different position in front of Kaminari to kick him in the back, transferring an unexplainable pain to him. Bakugou tried to explode Mirio from the back but Mirio merged into the ground to avoid the attack only to give a striking punch to Bakugou's chest. As Mirio was attacking the other pupils, the rest of his clothes fell off him, which gave Jirou a fright and a blush.

"Sorry for that girls!"

Mirio punched her and Mina and a majority of the class in the stomach, rendering them as useless. Even Todoroki was stopped before he could do anything! Yaoyorozu created a titanium shield to protect herself with but Mirio permeated through that as well and delivered a _POWER_-ful punch to her stomach, like everyone else. After Mirio had completely overpowered the entire class, it was silent and one would only be able to hear the groans of the students that were beaten; though not harshly.

"_Mirio definitely is on a different level. They didn't stand a chance.." _thought Izuku._ "Permeation.."_

"What.." groaned Hagakure. "Just now..what was that.."

"Yeah, we didn't have a fighting chance." agreed Mina. Bakugou was stunned and felt weak all over again. It was just like the fight he had with Izuku, was fate mocking him. The whole class were experiencing a sick reaction in the pits of their stomachs but managed to get up to learn about Mirio's quirk.

"It's Permeation! My whole body can become intangible and untouchable. I can slip through anything and everything but during the time I'm permeating, I can't see, nor hear, nor breathe. And I..I can only undergo the sensation of falling because I'm still mass. It can be kinda scary, haha."

The class gawked and were in awe of how strong Miriro really was. He was such a role model that they no longer felt the stinging pain in their stomachs but a new feeling of excitement.

"_Now, I wonder who is stronger. Mr. Midoriya or Mirio?" _thought Todoroki. He knew how incredibly strong the Big Three were, they were so strong that they stood alongside pro heroes. To be so strong that you rivalled heroes, that meant they must have gone through a lot of brutal training and faced a load of villains and all. But then there's Izuku. He was a villain that ended up teaching them and they ended up liking him. He was undeniably strong but he was always being underestimated by those he fought and it was always Izuku winning, never anyone else. Izuku always won when it came to combat. The students of 1-A, and the world really, had to understand that underestimating Izuku would either get you killed or badly beat up.

Mirio glanced over towards Izuku and began to walk to him. Izuku was staring at the ground and didn't realise that somebody was in front of him until a shadow overcame his personal space. He looked up, irritated.

"Ah, problem child! Hello, I'm Mirio and I'm a third year." he smiled and outstretched his hand to Izuku. "Well, you probably already know that. Anyway, I want to fight with you to show 1-A how to fight someone on the battlefield when it comes to one-on-one combat." he said. "And don't worry. I am not going to underestimate you, though I won't go all out. I hope you don't mind, Midoriya."

When he said that, Nejire, Amajiki and Mirio himself noticed an even stronger aura come off of Izuku. Izuku stood up and leaned in near Mirio's face with a sinister grin plastered on his face and his hands holding the bo staff behind his back. Such a crazed expression was painted onto his features and his eyes kindled an excited flame.

"Yes, Mirio, let's fight."

"_Shit they're really gonna fight.."_ Aizawa thought as he facepalmed.

"Good luck, villain kid.." mumbled Amajiki. Mirio made the first move by permeating through the ground and to Izuku to hit him from the back...though Izuku predicted it first and swung his staff at Mirio's head. Just in time, Mirio slid through the floor and ended up in front of Izuku and stood still for a second to strategise. But that was a grave mistake. Izuku immediately saw an opening and aimed for it with his staff. Just to be on the safe side, Izuku ran in quick, air-tight circles around Mirio to make sure he could not breathe as steadily as before, making it harder for him to use his quirk. Izuku did this and created nearly double the amount of after images he had made when he was with Bakugou. This was all to confuse Mirio. With Izuku being so cursory, it was difficult for Mirio to choose which image to attack at and so Mirio was beginning to lose. This shocked Amajiki and Nejire and the entirety of 1-A to a fault! Mirio getting beaten? Don't make me laugh.

"_I'm running out of stamina and oxygen..I need to think fast.."_ thought Mirio. In the midst of his thinking, something happened. One of the bo staffs on an afterimage were slightly quicker than the rest. That was it! Mirio heaved in all the air he could get and clenched both his fists on the sides of his torso with a big, puffed up chest before quickly, almost flying, punching Izuku square in the jaw. Due to this disturbance, his flow of speed was abruptly stopped and the images came running back to the original runner, who had taken the hit. Mirio smiled in triumph and 1-A were surprised but not overly surprised to see Izuku get punched. Nonetheless, it was a first for them to see Izuku get punched. Mirio's triumph was short-lived as Izuku quickly got up on his two feet again with even more power. But he spoke in a chillingly calm manner with his eyes illuminating a soft hue of hot blue.

"Thank you, Mirio. I needed that."

If even possible, Izuku sped to Mirio before anyone could even realise it and delivered an atrociously powerful axe kick to Mirio's back. That instantly defeated Mirio, as he had no time to permeate through the floor. Even if he did, he would be out of breath from Izuku running in circles around him like a tornado. Izuku made sure not to kick any of Mirio's vital areas but the kick he gave was extremely powerful. Probably his most powerful yet, but he couldn't control himself at the time he gave it; he was just so pent up with the raging energy in his heart from the thought of a good fight.

Amajiki's back wasn't crooked over like a Zanni anymore and Nejire had a serious expression on her face at the site of not only seeing the small kid win against Mirio Togata, closest man to the number one hero, but seeing him on the floor not being able to move very well. 1-A were dumbfounded at seeing Izuku just fight with Mirio like that when they could not even land a single hit on him properly.

"That was so cool, Mr. Midoriya!" exclaimed Mina with a smile. "But..if Mirio okay? I hope he didn't get too badly hurt..aha."

Izuku bit back a smile.

"I hope we can get that strong, Ochaco-chan." commented Tsuyu with her usual friendly but stoic face. Uraraka just laughed it off but Kirishima wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes.

"Kirishima, bastard!" cried Bakugou. "Are you crying?"

"It was just so manly, Bakubro..!"

The class discussed what they had seen and Izuku went back to stand with Aizawa and idly chat while the Big Three were still trying to get their heads around what they just saw.

"Mirio, can you stand?" said Nejire in worry. Mirio laughed in a reassuring way.

"Don't worry, I'll live Nejire!"

Nejire pouted and helped him walk to breathe a bit more.

"So, that villain but not-villain villain kid is strong, that's quite interesting. I didn't think he'd stand a chance against you Mirio. He looks the same as the 1-A students but he is completely different." said Amajiki looking down with a shy half-smile. "He's so strong, so I'm sure that he's been through some painful hardships just like you have. But he's so strong that it's kind of scary.."

They talked it over and decided to stay and help the students with fighting if they needed it. After that fight, everyone, including Aizawa were now sure of Izuku capability.

"_That was a good fight. One of my favorites, but my work here is done and I'm knackered." _thought Izuku as he advanced to walk back. He bowed to the Big Three and turned to leave with the bo staff leaning on his right shoulder.

"Hey, Midoriya, aren't you supposed to be helping here?" said Aizawa in a dull and annoying tone. "Help me over here."

Izuku stopped dead in his tracks and turned his head to face the class, showing the slight rings on purple under his eyes. He had a cold as the grave face that clearly indicated he wasn't in the mood.

"Aizawa.." chuckled Izuku in a tired and scary tone. "I dare you to ask me that again."

I say, child, let me rob you of your sight in exchange for a bed of roses..


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter thirty-three - **_Medicine will not save a Dead Man_

"Please, man! Stop!" cried a voice filled with doom. "I promise, I-I won't do it again!"

A man's slender fingers moved in perfect time like a mortifying clock as his words were draped in insensitivity with his creeping words lingering in the air as he said, "A-A-Ah. I don't think I can do that."

"B-But c'mon, man, do you really need to resort to murder..? Don't you care f-for your humanity?" trembled the voice, his face contorted in scared mockery. He was trying to negotiate his way out of the situation. "Just th-think of the amount of blood you could avoid spilling if you just l-let me go.." the scared voice tried to crawl away slowly but quickly to a more secluded area where he would escape. Wishful thinking.

The man with the slender fingers and black-as-death hair cocked his brow and stood in silence for a while before smiling again. It was quite a pure looking smile, though context always had its ways of ruining perfect frames.

"What's this?" said Tragedy as he shaded his face with his hand like he had just found an undiscovered country. "A scammer is lecturing me? Why, I never thought I would see the day I would be lectured again, and by a scammer at that!" laughed the man. He suddenly gave a dark, hearty grin. "Humanity? My dear Mr. Scammer, you knew very well who I was when you wanted to deal with me, didn't you? It's really no use trying to worm your way out of the hole you buried yourself in."

Tragedy's eyes were as thick and cold as the harsh ice blocks that masked the arctic ground and walls. The poor scammer shivered in his skin, as if he were really in the arctic, and he extended his arms desperately to shield himself from the virgin animosity that was laid before him. His breathing quickened and his demeanour became stiff and pale like a mannequin. It was quite unfitting for his job. Scammers were witty and agile around deals with no fear to hand to the person they were deceiving, so why was Poor Mr. Scammer here sweating buckets? Unsightly.

"Ah, Tragedy," someone clicked their tongue in a hasty fashion. "Quicken this up, would you. His odour is so awful, I think I might have caught something." He coughed and protected his face with his white-gloved hands. It was really pointless as he wore a long beak over his mouth and nose like an alarming plague doctor. Plague doctor's were _hardly _human. The man's eyes beamed hot rays of hatred and disgust towards Poor Mr. Scammer and was convinced he himself would kill him if Tragedy took any longer to perform the prolonged slaughter.

"Yeah, Yeah. I will, Chisaki. And you.." said Tragedy walking closer to Poor Mr. Scammer. "You know it isn't really the fact that you're a scammer that angers me, you are just a lowly human after all. It was how you daftly decided to scam me of all people. Death played spin the bottle and you ended up being pointed at. There's not much I can say to you. Now..embrace eternal rest."

Poor Mr. Scammer's eyes lit up like blue orbs of emotion and grief and fear and every other wretched thing that flew out of Pandora's box. He shuffled around and his eyes darted around the small warehouse he was confined in to look for some refuge but that was wholly futile as there were two devils standing in front of him. Tragedy's dreaded hums of hell vibrated into Poor Mr. Scammer's ears like a broken spring that refused to stop moving and speaking like the snake that tempted Adam and Eve. His ears were being tempted by Tragedy's hums and that would be his downfall. Once Tragedy had reached him, he quickly grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against the wall with only one hand and zero effort. Tragedy's eyes told a story of excitement and pain that nobody would be able to fathom in the slightest as his eyes mingled deep into his victim's in sadistic torment. Due to Tragedy's hand tightening its grip on Poor Mr. Scammer's sensitive neck, he scratched helplessly at his hands to attempt to free himself but that would not work, obviously. Chisaki's head stayed down in boredom but his golden eyes travelled up to the eyes of the victim that was suffering excruciating pain.

Their eyes met.

"O-O.." choked out Poor Mr. Scammer. "O-..Over..Hau..Hel..p m..e.."

Overhaul kept his gaze strong and rigid as he stared hatefully at the victim, who was clearly crying and begging for his help. Overhaul was not stupid, he understood quite clearly that he was being summoned and that the person doing this had a face that looked like the lilac sky of Tokyo on a pretty afternoon. Though, he ignored the man, for it wasn't in his interests or responsibilities to save the life of a dying man that had played a game of hooky with a demon. Poor Mr. Scammer knew good and well what he was doing when he decided to deal with the devil, that happened to be Tragedy on that fateful day, so why should Overhaul interfere with another man's business? And so, his eyes casually slid to look at the ceiling and stroked his beak.

"Don't look away from me." roared a deep, crazed voice that was the incarnation of a jester drunk with sin. Tragedy cruelly threw the scammer to the floor like redundant trash, leaving him to breathe for a bit. Overhaul saw this and was momentarily confused, but when he saw Tragedy slowly walk towards Poor Mr. Scammer in jovial manner, he was no longer confused.

"_Wow. So he's really going to do that, huh. It has truly been a while."_ thought Overhaul with a cough and a scoff. Poor Mr. Scammer was on the floor greedily gasping for air to make his lilac face turn back to the dirty cream color is was previously. He thought that Tragedy was going to spare him, he really thought that Tragedy had flung him to the side because he would be used as an assistant later on. He honestly believed that he'd been cast away only to be brought back. How very wrong he was. When Tragedy finally got a little closer to his victim, he just stopped and stared at him. Tragedy's face was no longer filled with insanity, it was no longer annoyed, it was no longer childish, it was no longer angry. His face was instead painted to look like a blank, expressionless canvas with no care in the world. For a few seconds, Tragedy looked regretful and scared..maybe a little ashamed. Though, 'twas not a fear or regret for his actions but a fear and regret for his life. He was scared of himself. But his demeanour switched swiftly again like a snake would transform its scaly coat. It was with that blank face that Tragedy made Poor Mr. Scammer stop breathing. It was so abrupt that Poor Mr. Scammer didn't have time to breathe!

Then, Tragedy let him breathe again. Then he took his breath away. Then let him breathe. Then took the air away. And so on, he played back and forth with the victim's lifeline like a yo-yo. The more Tragedy did it the more his mania crawled back to him like a loving dog that missed its owner; so much so that he had to cover his mouth and stop his giggles from exploding onto everyone else.

"You are a sick man, Tragedy." commented Overhaul with his legs crossed and a fist rested on his cheek glancing at the monstrosity unfolding. Tragedy finally stopped to stare at his foot and his hands were in his pockets with his head cocked to the side.

"Hm." said Tragedy as he finally stole all of Poor. Mr Scammer's oxygen supply. "I guess so."

Tragedy shut his eyes for a few seconds in silence after taking the man's life. He was left feeling empty, like a guitar that had played every song in existence with it's few long strings. The songs that he, the guitar, had played were ones of sorrow and mistrust. Songs of hatred and betrayal. And finally songs of descened rebirth. He breathed in heavily before going to lean on a wall. The air was so very bitter and so very metallic with the new scent of blood sticking to it and travelling down both Overhaul's and Tragedy's tracheas. The air they breathed was thin and reluctant to help the both of them live after what they had done, but the air continued to obey the laws of their gallant Mother Nature regardless of their thoughts.

"Chisaki.." said Tragedy in a glassy, dazed kind of way without looking at anything in particular. "Don't you hate how disgusting humans are? How they take the precious, hidden components of their lives for granted. How they will take in the air that was bestowed upon this earth for humans but contradict themselves and fill it with their soppy negativity and grief. Look, Chisaki. Look at that white butterfly. Its wings are quietly fluttering about in a room of dread. What do you think would happen if I made the butterfly stop right above that pool of blood? Would the butterfly cling to its purity and not stain itself red, or will it became infatuated with the scent and quiddity of death and taint itself red? It's kind of like you and me, Chisaki."

Overhaul thoughtlessly looked at Tragedy with nothing but questions dancing about in his brain.

"_Has the bastard finally lost his mind? Like you and me, huh." _thought Overhaul with his eyes fluttering.

"I'm sure you didn't call me over to speak of the ways of a butterfly, Tragedy." he asked in speculation.

"You're right. I called you here to talk about the League of Villains. They're a strange bunch and they have piqued my interest." replied Tragedy regaining his usual devilish manner. Like a broken lightbulb would light up again, his eyes began to ignite a flame of deranged delight. Overhaul sat up meekly as a dot of heed began to grow within him. He knew who the League were but he didn't think much of them, now that All for One was dead. To him they were just a group of misfits. Bandits, even. They were nothing special, so what of it?

"Go on."

"Well," smiled Tragedy in a way that made his prominent canines show. Tragedy's tongue loosened as he somehow began to tell a tale of the League and how ultimately strange but interesting they were. He talked about the events that commenced in Hades, the way Izuku sliced up his opponents and that awesome face he made. He went on about how the League committed acts of terrorism at random with their powerful members and how they had gained the upper hand in many ways after acquiring Izuku. Tragedy had deep rooted connections that allowed him to know the members of the League, hence he knew of Izuku's arrival. But that was it, Tragedy never got the details of what went on in the League. He was only given very vague amounts of information, even if he killed and threatened the connections he had, they were loyal to their betrayal and were willing to die for such as well. What was so special about Faceless that made the League finally pull up their socks and get on with their work of destruction? What was so frightening that his connections would die to keep their lips sealed? Smarts, Quirk? It was all very exciting and the air of excitement blew onto the flames in Tragedy's eyes.

"So, that's why. I guess..I guess I'm a little interested in these horrendous chronicles of yours. But for fuck's sake, throw out the corpse of that scammer. It's smell is so pungent." whined Overhaul with a scowl.

"And if I don't?" teased Tragedy as he too, leaned his fist on his cheek. "Will you throw me out of my own warehouse, Chisaki?"

"Keep talking like that and you'll end up like Poor Mr. Scammer over there." retorted Overhaul, annoyed. Tragedy tightened his gaze like he tightened the grip on Poor Mr. Scammer's neck.

"No, I'd rather end up like that white butterfly. Either of its fates are fine; I don't mind if I stay white or red." he replied.

Overhaul then looked at Tragedy in dismay.

"You really are a sick man, XXXXXX."

Tragedy's blood ran cold and he nearly stopped his own breathing at the sound of his name being called. So out of the blue.

The strumming of the strings in your heart will soon snap, shall we end it here?


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter thirty-four - **_Soliloquy_

In the open of the glorious fields, fate bore Bakugou and Kirishima; two energetic youths. Clear, was the sky; Blazing, was the sun and kind, was the wind. On that blissful day, Bakugou was ruthlessly but acknowledgingly exercising his quirk on Kirishima, who was of course hardened, and making his explosions larger and stronger the more he sweated and puffed. This type of strange exercise was not just benefiting Bakugou, but it did so to Kirishima as it meant he could try and harden more to build a stronger resistance and in more places. They were like two barbaric peas in a pod. Even though it was useful for the both of them to complete their exercise, Kirishima was more prone to injury, hence he took a short break. Bakugou gulped down a bottle of water while Kirishima sighed in distress.

Something was on his mind.

"_What the hell is his relationship with Mr. Midoriya?" _he thought. _"Bakubro always had this burning, deep-rooted hate- no. Loathe for Mr. Midoriya that I couldn't even begin to understand. Was it because he was the villain that beat him up? Nah - I think even Bakugou knows when someone is clearly stronger than the other, and it wasn't like everyone was exactly pumped up about being taught by a villain either, so he ain't exactly special or anything. So.." _Kirishima's face scrunched up and his dagger-like teeth were on show. _"What the hell is their relationship?"_

"What's with the scary face, Kirishima?" said Bakugou with a scowl as he stretched. Kirishima finally realised that his facial expression was contorted to look a little scarier than he wanted. He waved nervously and scratched his neck.

"I-It's nothing, Bakubro." he said, loosening his forced smile and looking to the ground where only a shadow could veil his face. "I'm fine."

Bakugou's scowl grew more and he began to feel annoyed and somewhat worried.

"Clearly, you're not. Do not lie to me, Shitty-Hair." Bakugou grumbled and sat beside Kirishima. "I can't stand liars, it is so damned obvious when they do it. What, are you scared of me or something?" he said, sounding a little hurt. Bakugou turned his head to the side to hide his look of misery.

"_Liars.." _thought Kirishima blankly. _"You hate liars, huh.. Then.."_

"Bakugou." suddenly said Kirishima in a more serious tone of voice, probably the most serious he has been in a while. It was so sudden and unusual for Kirishima to use Bakugou's name instead of that cute nickname and on top of that, his serious voice. Bakugou's eyes widened ever so slightly and his scowl was lost. He faced Kirishima.

"_Oi..what's up with the way he is speaking? Bastard's been acting strange ever since that damned Mido- Deku fought Mirio."_ thought Bakugou in hindsight. His heart began to beat at nineteen to the dozen as all these unlikely scenarios started playing up in his head. Does he hate me? Perhaps he was being fake this whole time.. Is he never going to speak to me? Will I be surrounded by a crowd of lackeys again? Wh-

"Bakugou, I need to talk to you. But to do that, we are going to my room." said Kirishima quite bluntly as he bit his lip and walked ahead. Worried and irritated, Bakugou followed him to his room. The journey was quiet and tight-lipped, like they were walking on a tightrope with an unknown below. This was Bakugou's first time on the tightrope of friendship, so the down below looked really mysterious and dull. It was so dull that if you went down there, all your friendship would be nullified and your hard earned, laborious relationship would go a rank down to _simple classmates_. And then? And then, Bakugou's splash of guilt he felt with Izuku would grow and grow like an endless weed that would eventually make itself public. But that was exactly what Bakugou didn't understand.

"_Hey, if at first it was an easy thing to walk on a tightrope with idiots and people, why did it get harder to walk it as we got closer? What kind of bullshit joke is this?" _he thought in frustration. Even when he asked this question, somewhere in his sea of thoughts, something in his mind was telling him to _'search, and you will find'_. It was quite infuriating and Bakugou's nervousness was not helping in any way.

Bakugou was snapped out of the suffocation of his imagination when he heard the click of Kirishima's door and the gulp of his throat. What shocked Bakugou most was the sad look that Kirishima's wore on his usually cheery face. It wasn't a very obvious look of sadness, it wasn't as though he was on the verge of tears and his cheeks were flushed along with sniffling. It was a worse kind of sadness that would plant a seed of woe into you when you hoped to never feel such an emotion as woe.

"After you."

And so, Bakugou sat on Kirishima's bed as he usually did when he went into his room. It was quite relieving to feel something soft after the trail of dread Bakugou was feeling. But, for the sake of his own sanity, he cast out all the emotion that weighed him down and regained his pompous, aggressive air back.

"What did you want to say, Kirishima?" he asked. Kirishima then looked Bakugou dead in the eyes. Like he could see all of Baugou's tangled, messy thoughts and forgotten emotions. Bakugou flinched a little.

"Bakugou, what is your relationship with Mr. Midoriya? Don't bullshit me." asked Kirishima in solemnity. Bakugou sat up and stopped staring at the wall. Bakugou didn't have time to think as he just said "Huh?" with little croaks that fell out of his mouth right after that.

Kirishima held his gaze.

"_What.." _ thought Bakugou. _"What the fuck..? So, it's going to be like that, Kirishima."_

"He used to be in my class when we were class back in kindergarten. Did I commit a fucking crime? Huh, did I?" said Bakugou, feeling like he was being judged inside out. His eyes burned a great red fire that was constantly wavering. This, however, was in contrast to Kirishima's locked, calm, unwavering gaze into Bakugou's heart.

"_Why won't he say more? Doesn't he trust me?" _thought Kirishima, in grief.

"There's more, isn't there? Go on." he said calmly but sadly. Bakugou's pupils danced about his eyes and his tone shook minutely with a casual posture.

"I.., shit, He was a weak little shit. Yeah, that's what he was, and I told him he was a Deku all the time to reinforce that fact into his little ass brain. He was quirkless, for fuck's sake!" shouted Bakugou, arms wide. He saw Kirishima's expression change.

"_Yes, this is good." _he thought. _"Hate me, do what ever the fuck you want. Just get me off this damned tightrope." _Poor Bakugou thought that if Kirishima hated him, this weedy guilt of his would just kill itself off.

"He was weak and quirkless and clingy and tacky and he _dared_ to speak to me in a friendly way. He wanted to be a hero, but that wasn't going to happen, that was damn clear. Better to nip off the bud before the flower starts to sprout."

After that, Kirishima's expression evolved from a calm expression to a disappointed one. That made the weed in Bakugou's heart grow even more. Kirishima's calm, strong eyes looked disappointed and just even more blue. Not even angry, not even annoyed. It was so pitiful, Bakugou thought he as being looked down on.

"_Bastard's doing it on purpose. I know it." _ he thought in irritation. Kirishima then inhaled deeply and buried his head in his hands. He thought about what he had just heard and why Bakugou carried such a distasteful hate towards Izuku. Just because he lacked a quirk, he was basically bullied? And then this about him wanting to be a hero? Then how did he end up a villain? Was he cast away?

Kirishima exhaled and felt like a vase that would crack any second.

"Why.." said Kirishima quietly. "Why the fuck would you do that? What did he ever do to you? Huh? Answer me, God damnit!"

"And What the _Fuck_ does it have to do with you, Kirishima?! This has nothing to do with you, you fucking piece of shit. Mind your damned business before I do something that even I will regret!" roared Bakugou in complete and utter fury.

"But it does!" shouted Kirishima. He was really on edge at that point as the cracks of his emotions would slip through his words soon. "It does..!"

"_Shit.." _thought Bakugou still angry.

"It doesn't, you bastard." he said with masses of aloofness lingering in his tone. "Do you think it's amusing to cram your way into business that isn't your, Kirishima? Do you? 'Cuz if you keep going on that route, you'll end up with a broken nose or dead in a ditch. Mind your fucking busneiss."

That was it for Kirishima. He burst into tears. All the pain, conscious and subconscious, that Bakugou and people from the past had caused him started feeding his thick sadness like a negative reservoir. No matter what Kirishima did, no matter how many times he scratched at his face to stop the tears, no many how many times he cursed and cursed and cursed his emotions...no matter how many times he tried to convince and encourage himself of his special worth, it was all but redundant as the tears did not care for his attempts at stopping them. It was their course of nature to keep flowing.

Bakugou instantly went to Kirhsima, before he could even register what was happening. The weed of guilt matured within him and choked him up. He swallowed his pride and anger and..hugged Kirishima tightly.

"_Imsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorryimsorry."_ he recited in his head and a dot, a very, very lilliput tear ran down his cheek. Thankfully, nobody saw it as it as the tear was soaked into Kirishima's t-shirt.

"I'm sorry, Kirishima." he whispered. Kirishima was in shock and that shock was strong enough to terminate the flow of tears that had stained and streaked his face. He felt the sincerity and warmth that Bakugou was feeling and he felt like Bakugou was truly a brother to him, even when there was no exchange of words. Kirishima could not hold back his pure smile back any longer, as he too hugged Bakugou back.

Not even a wizard would think that two souls could connect as those two had, unless those two souls had been lovers that were brought together by a deity or some sort. But, no. They were on a different stage that had nothing to do with the love Eros, but with the love Storge. Within seconds, the lines and ribbons of that hellbound tightrope was gone and the weed of guilt had been cut drastically form the sky-high tree it was blooming into before. The guilt he grew from Kirishima was gone but the remaining guilt was for Izuku. That was not be cut to easily.

After hugging for what seemed like an eternity, Bakugou became embarrassed and was hiding his face in shame of what he did. For not only making Kirishima cry, but for hugging him as well.

"Why did you hug me, Bakubro?" asked Kirishima laughing at him. Bakugou growled and pointed.

"Heeh?! What? Shut up, you bastard! It was the only way to stop you crying, so it was your fault. Now, stop talking about it and shut up!" he said in a refreshed aggressive way.

"Yeah, yeah." said Kirishima with a tired sigh. Then he spoke again. "Tell me in depth of your connections with Mr. Midoriya. I'm still not okay with the way you spoke so lightly about bullying."

Bakugou looked to floor and huffed in shame and pride. "Whatever."

And so, Bakugou explained loosely about what happened to Izuku because of his consistent maltreatment. Bakugou trusted Kirishima not to spread the information to anyone, so he also talked about how Izuku went missing and what happened when he was attacked by the Sludge Villain and all. When Bakugou finally stopped he look at Kirishima only to find that he was stunned. He was in complete disbelief at what he was hearing. He did not for a second think that Bakugou was capable of some monstrosity, it was honestly quite unnerving for Kirishima. But Bakugou had surely changed, so Kirishima believed in him to do better in the future and apologise for his actions, that was the manly thing to do!

But!

"Bakugou, the class need to know about your history with Mr. Midoriya." said Kirishima with a determined look in his eyes. Bakugou rolled his eyes at the sight of this, or he knew when Kirishima was like this he would not stop for anything until he reached whatever goal he had. And today, that goal was for Bakugou to come clean to the class. Kirishima would not be able to live with himself without at least the class knowing about Bakugou's wrongdoings, now that he knew about them.

"_Bastard's all fired up now. Great." _ thought Bakugou. Bakugou snarled and his eyebrows were angled sharply as he growled in annoyance at how it was inevitable for him to tell th class, but he'd try at least once more. Once more, to try and sneakily escape his sins.

"But, Shitty-Hair, I told you because I…" Bakugou emitted a strange sound that sounded like he was struggling to speak, which made Kirishima tilt his head innocently in confusion. "..I t-trusted you. That's why I told you, you bastard. I don't trust the rest of them like them so why should I tell them?"

Kirishima had a frozen expression, like time had stopped. BUt then he laughed heartily. This made Bakugou angry.

"Why are you laughing?!"

"Be-..haha! Because it kinda sounded like you said 'trusted' just now! My ears are fucked up ahaha!" said Kirishima as he tried to regulate his breathing from all that laughter.

"You bastard, I did say 'trusted'! Ugh, so freakin' annoying." said Bakugou condescendingly. Kirishima looked up for a few seconds with a look on his face that just screamed 'don't lie' but he then realised Bakugou was serious. That made him smile sweetly and he tried to hide it but that made it even more obvious.

"O-Oh. Well," said Kirishima calming down. "Bakubro, now that you've told me the bad things you have done to hurt Mr. Midoriya, you should tell the class, or I will! The moment you told me, I felt a heavy weight of guilt rush over me. The truth will always prevail, Bakubro, so why wait? It will be better this way." said Kirishima in an inspiring, hero-like tone. "Also, be a little nicer to Mr. Midoriya, bro. He really didn't deserve any of the bullshit you served him all those years. That was really horrible of you, bro."

"Tch..fine, whatever."

"We are doing it now, come on!" exclaimed Kirishima as he raced downstairs. Bakugou just sighed and followed Kirishima. He was no longer on that petrifying tightrope. As they descended the stairs, they saw that their classmates were casually talking to each other in a chilled manner. The atmosphere was relaxing and giggling was heard scarcely echo about in the living room with some low-volumed, unknown television channel playing in the background. Kirishima came downstairs and sat on the carpet on the ground with a little stretch before announcing something.

"Guys, what do you think about Mr. Midoriya?"

A number of students turned around to see why on earth Kirishima asked a question like that out of the blue. They answered nonetheless. First was Iida, who was quite enthusiastic.

"Well, to me he is a strong willed person that is extremely powerful in all he does." declared Iida. "Mr. Midoriya has helped us improve our strength and super moves to an incredible extent that we would not have achieved on our own. He is an honest, strong and kind teacher that I do not view as a villain. At all. I daresay I can trust him now."

"Iida.." said Uraraka with rosy cheeks. She smiled. "Me too! Mr. Midoriya is cool and if Iida trusts him, so do I!"

There were many nods passed around the room but a few people kept still. They weren't so forgiving, nor were they so lenient.

"Hey, don't you two think you are being a little too quick to trust a villain?" commented MIneta. "I do not trust Mr. Midoriya, he is a villain. You guys seem to keep forgetting that! He could be acting.."

"_Shut up.., Mineta.."_ thought Mina in exasperation. _"Shut up! You don't know anything about him.."_

"Mineta, how can you even say that?" retorted Mina clutching her chest. "Mr. Midoriya saved us twice. He sacrificed himself twice, and those two times were fatal. Remember when he was almost crushed beneath rock to safe All Might? Remember when he cut his hand with a sword when we were almost attacked at the Takoba National Stadium by a reckless student? Or did you suddenly get amnesia when he was labelled a villain? Is that it, because if it is..don't even talk to me and don't even think of calling yourself a hero. Mr. Midoriya.." she cocked her head to the side and gave a faultless smile. "Mr. Midoriya is truly a hero to me!"

Everyone in the room had wide eyes and mouths that hung open like faulty machines as they couldn't at all believe what they had heard. All eyes were on Mina, as many _'true'_ and _'exactly'_'s were being murmured from all corners of the room. So, all it took was a little push from Mina for everyone's brains to click. A little can go a long way in all cases.

"_I wonder if they were always this close, Mina and Mr. Midoriya.."_

"_That's actually true. Mr. Midoriya does obtain some heroic qualities. Why didn't I say that before?"_

"_He is so strong, and without a quirk! It is unbelievable. Im'm..proud to call him my teacher."_

"_I mean, I have always liked Mr. Midoriya so.."_

"He's okay, I guess." said Todoroki. Then Bakugou stepped forwards with his hands in his pockets and a great frown of annoyance on his face. Kirishima knew what would happen next.

"So, everyone.. There was actually a reason I spoke in the first place. It's a little serious, ehe.." Kirishima said as he rubbed his neck. Bakugou then came forward to speak for himself, he couldn't keep having someone else talk for him. It was his fight.

"So, this is what I have to say." said Bakugou. And with hat, he proceeded to talk about how he would torment Izuku everyday with his gang of lackeys, all because Izuku was quirkless. He would do this in front of the teacher, who did nothing, he would do this out side for the school and during lunch as well. He would do this o Izuku with absolutely no mercy or guilt, back then. It was just a normal, casual gesture to bully and abuse Izuku with no remorse whatsoever. Izuku was their punching bag; just an object there to be used and thrown away. It was truly, _truly_ undignified, it would break a man. And it did. Bakugou then talked more and more about other things that happened during that time and mentioned Izuku's past ambitions and dreams and how he had just stomped on them like a shadow hanging over an angel without consent. Like a clear sky being hunted by thunder clouds. Kind of like how a careless bastard would push a sweet, little boy to attempt suicide. Twice. Yeah, just like that.

After that, there was about five minutes, or so ,of silence, as the television had turned off automatically. The silence was not relaxing anymore. The silence was no kind anymore. The silence was actually very disturbing and caused a number of students to back away in shock and fear of Bakugou. Those who tried to move back in fear were not scared of Bakugou's strength. No, no, nobody cared about that. They were afraid of him as a person, they were scared that there was someone so near to them that seemed and behaved like a monster, A villain.

"That's disgusting." commented Shoji. "That's genuinely disgusting."

Kaminari, Sero and Uraraka looked hurt for Izuku and were indeed shocked that Bakugou was capable of doing this with no shame at all. _'No shame'._ That wasn't true at all, but I won't go into that.

"Dude, that horrible, how could you? Oh my Gosh.." said Sero. He shook his head in disdain. Majority of the class did the same thing.

"Hm. So, you really did all that, huh. That is really something, Bakugou. I knew you were bad, but this is a whole different level of evil. Thank God the teachers know about this." said Todoroki with a cold side-eye. Bakugou took no notice and was unfazed by the reactions he received.

"Mr. Midoriya..you endured all that alone? Damn it.." mumbled Iida under his breath with his fist clenched. Then something unexpected happened!

Mina walked up to Bakugou and gave him a powerful slap on the cheek. The slap was hot and quick like Anger and it was heard reflecting off of the hard surfaces of the living room and back into everyone's ears. Everyone present was surprised at what Mina did, as she was usually the first to talk about positivity and respect. To see Mina slap someone must mean the person was really special to her and eminently important. Mina remembered how peaceful and sacrificial Izuku looked when he stared at the sky that day. At first Mina thought that he as just at peace with himself and he just loved tranquility. But how wrong she was. Izuku was at war with himself all the time, and there was no God, no deity, no entity that could end it for him. Izuku looked at the sky so freely and wholeheartedly like he was just giving up his body and soul to the four elements at ease and sorrow. Izuku positively yearned for tranquility, but that was something he would never get. Because not all men are born equally, hence not all men got what they utmostly desired.

"_I'm sorry, Mr. Midoriya..I didn't notice it before. I'm such a fool."_ she thought. Mina left to sit on the couch and she hugged a pillow tight to her chest like a baby. Bakugou stood there and breathed in, then breathed out.

"Well, I don't suppose you came and told us that for the hell of it, did you, Bakugou?" said Yaoyorozu who just shook her head. "Well?"

"W-Well-" Kirishima was about to speak but then Bakugou stopped him by extending his hand to stop him.

"_Hah?! What? Wait, Bakubro can't speak to people normally like that..! He will just make things harder for himself, what is he doing.." _thought Kirishima. Then, another unexpected thing happened! The list just kept going on and on with bizarre things happen left and right. Bakugou got on his knees, then on the floor and bowed to the class which surprised everyone that was present. Bakugou never apologised and definitely not to THIS extent. What on earth..

"_I'm not getting back on that damned tightrope with the rest of my friends. Might as well get it over with.." _he thought in annoyance.

"I am greatly sorry for all the bad I have done to make you..err.. Hate me this much. I was young and stupid back then. I didn't know that it would take this large of a toll on M-Mr. Midoriya. I will try and make it up to you somehow but don't expect a lot you fuckers." and with that Bakugou got up and went to bed, knowing that he would unfortunately have to apologise to Izuku at one point. But to think that he apologised on his knees to people, hugged someone and cried and even experienced thrilling emotions? He would have never thought that was even possible, when he was younger. Once Bakugou left, Kirishima awkwardly bowed and left as well.

That just left the rest of the classmates feeling very empty and unfinished. The ending that Bakugou had given was really vague and brief and it was really quite open-ended. The atmosphere was filled with confusion and hate, with understanding and pain and nobody quite understood what was happening. But, despite everything, everyone knew Bakugou was growing. Kinda.

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now, it seems as though they are here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter thirty-five - **_To whom it may concern…_

With his heart still racing, Izuku paced the deserted hallways like a restless fly. His mind could only be filled with the thrills he got from his fight with Mirio of the Big Three, which was bad as his brain had a habit of remembering things that he'd rather not. Though, Izuku avoided thinking of the fight. Not because it was bad, the fight was in fact adequate and it quenched his thirst for a fight for a while, but because he'd yearn for more later on. To be starved of what you live for is a fate more excruciating than death so when Izuku eventually got what he wanted, he'd pounce onto it and his ravenous behaviour would overcome him without a warning. His footsteps became subconsciously louder as he continued to pace up and down and so, he brought his finger to cup his chin in question.

"_What to do, what to do...whatever am I to do? I'm driving myself crazy." _Izuku thought as he furrowed his brows. Now, in ordinary circumstances, a boy his age would have many hobbies and many things that had to be done but were never completed. Boys Izuku's age would constantly be lazing away at a useless activity that they'd talk about with their friends and such. But of course, Izuku was not an ordinary boy. Not at birth, and not currently. Hence, he dug through his memories to think of what he could do to pass the time, or just a remedy that would even, for a second, cure his case of boredom. Then, it came to him and he was an idiot to forget.

"Mom.." he murmured as he stared at the plain design of the ground below him. With his eyes cast down to his feet, he remembered what his mother told him to do when in times like this.

"_Izuku, baby,"_ he remembered his mother say. _"You are bored out of your mind, aren't you? Well, I've got something to help you. Whenever you are bored, whenever you are nervous, whenever you feel like there is nothing that can save you from your pit of sadness, all you need to do to escape that is hum. Hum any little tune you know and you will soon be cured of this terrible illness called boredom. You don't know any songs, you say? Then, let me teach you some!"_

His mother's smile.

Before he realised it, his knuckles became sore from clenching them so harshly. He vividly began to remember the one, distinct song his mother taught him and gathered the notes from his memory and hummed them out of his mouth sweetly to ease his boredom. Izuku's pace of walking slowed down to just a bit quicker than the average speed and his eyes were closed in comfort. He relied on his senses to stop him from bumping into anything and as he hummed, his hearing became slightly muffled and it felt as though he was walking on nothing, like gravity hadn't a spec of control over him; he felt weightless and free. Humming his tune, walking on clouds, mother's songs, they were as sweet as honey, as euphonious as a choir of archangels. But then, out of nowhere, his humming became greedy and craved for more sweetness. A sweetness sweeter than honey and more mellow than a bass. It became evident that his mother's once gentle tune became a stubborn, gluttonous beast that impatiently desired the authentic song, the song from its origins.

Once Izuku became aware of the brutal, rough way he produced the sounds, his pace quickened and he got angry with himself.

"_No, that's not how it went. It was more like this.." _he thought helplessly trying to replicate his mother's ways. But, the more he tried to imitate the song, the more desperate he became and he became worse than when he started. Izuku's heart was thumping hard and longingly for something to satisfy his emotional needs and absolutely nothing around him served a good way to do that. So, he halted. Izuku sighed at how foolish he looked as he leaned on the silent wall in mental exhaustion. He inhaled and exhaled to rid any excessive negativity within him and calmed down a little.

He played with a piece of his long, threads of silky black hair and covered his mouth with it, only revealing his glassy eyes looking to the ceiling. He then thought.

"_Hey, whoever's up there," _he thought, his eyes glazed. _"When do you think I can get what I want without having to sacrifice anything? You, whoever's up there, know what my greatest wish is, even if I don't know myself. When the time comes, please give it to me in abundance and perhaps.." _Izuku tickled his nose with his hair. _"Perhaps do it soon. I'm still a human, despite my strength. The line of patience and hurt will only go on for so long before I decide to snatch it for myself."_

Suddenly, Izuku sensed that there was something else within his midst, inching closer by the nanosecond. With his senses still sharp, he can clearly hear their footsteps a few floors down from where he was and their stride was becoming slower and slower.

"_Who would use so much energy and put so much effort in running up this way. Surely, they know there are no lessons today."_ thought Izuku in confusion. He was oblivious to the possibility that the person could be running to see him!

"M…" panted a voice. "Mr..M..idoriya…!"

Izuku slowly opened his glistening eyes only to be met with a stumbling girl with pink hair and a back arched in drowsiness. Izuku gave an unfazed look to the girl standing before him that was clearly trying to get his attention.

"You needed something, Mina?" said Izuku plainly. Finally, Mina got her breath back and nervously smiled at him whilst rubbing her neck in apprehension.

"Erm, Mr. Midoriya, I actually have something I'd like to talk to you about.." she said fiddling her fingers with her eyes glued to the floor.

"_Heeh." _Izuku thought sarcastically. He put his hands in his pockets and focused his gaze now on Mina and his hair swayed in rhythm with his head of thoughts.

"About?"

"Can we go outside, please?" she asked. Izuku thought of what things she could possibly do to kill him as she was still wary of everything around him. Though, not as much as before. Even though Izuku thought of all the bad she could possibly do, he knew within himself that she would not do any harm to him.

"_There is no logic, no factual basis for why I believe she will not harm me, yet.."_ he thought. _"..yet why am I so sure? Is this overconfidence? Or something else.."_

Trust?

"Mr. Midori-" she then got her answer midway of her sentence with a little nod from Izuku. She walked anxiously in front of him, thinking of how she would possibly tell him what she wanted to say without sounding rude or inquisitive. She had a strange affection for Izuku that she had never felt before, and she wanted to protect that feeling within her. So, she absolutely could not ruffle his feathers him. That was a must for her.

Once they got outside, the breeze was a breath of fresh air as the smell of sweet tree sap was wafting in the atmosphere. The golden leaves waved to them, beckoning them over to stand by them. The sky was split in two; one half was a merry, brighter blue with curves of white that were sewn neatly through the middle of it and the other half was more dull, inconsolable looking as it was the literal color of boredom. A wanting, deeper grey that seemed to be on the route to overtaking the blue but wanted to be a part of the blue. The grey wanted to be a part of the happiness that was lain in front of it, in opposed to overshadowing it. Despite knowing that the grey's fate was set in stone, the grey could only dream of becoming a blue. Dreaming was always there to make your wants a timeless joy.

Then as Mina spoke, the wind picked up a little and her hair flowed in the wind, as did Izuku's. The both of them looked like celestial deities, with their hopelessly, perfectly carved expressions.

"Mr. Midoriya, I.." her eyes wandered downwards, remembering how Bakugou had told her the nefarious actions he executed onto Izuku. "I know you are in no obligation to answer this but..what was your life like before U.A?"

"You want to know about something as darkly mundane as my past?" he said tipping his head back. Izuku's eyes then became as cold as ice cubes and his voice became blunt and suddenly hostile as he said, "Let me tell you then, Mina. My life before U.A? It was nothing pleasant."

Mina was taken aback by the utter pugnaciousness in Izuku's voice as he spoke. She had never remembered Izuku sounding so passionless...she then began to think that all the wonderful expressions that Izuku had once worn on his face were all illusions. Mere hallucinations of what she wanted to see. She almost convinced herself of that theory until she looked closely at Izuku's face; then she saw the truth.

"_He's sad. It isn't obvious, at first. But he is. He almost had me on his hook of despair until I looked a little closer."_ she thought maturely. _"You need a hero, Mr. Midoriya. I'll be a hero to you, who has opened my eyes."_

So, Mina, as if she was a completely different person, beamed at Izuku with such genuine dazzle in her smile that Izuku's eyes stung. Her own eyes were bright and full of the energetic life that youth brought. With her rosy cheeks, she was determined to kick some sense into her teacher.

"So, your life was no pleasure cruise? Does that suddenly mean you can't be happy, Mr. Midoriya?" Izuku practically had to look at her. He was confused and became more distant.

"Can you hear me, Mr. Midoriya? If you can, right now, I'm not speaking with my mouth or my voice, I'm speaking from my heart to you. Life is indeed filled with ups and downs.." the more Izuku listened, the more cold he became.

"_What is she doing to me? My heart- Is it her quirk or something?"_ he thought in annoyance.

"The journey is never smooth for anyone and I definitely know best that you have certainly had it the roughest, Mr. Midoriya. Believe me.. But.." she smiled.

"_What's this sticky, warm feeling in my chest? God damn it, shit..it won't stop.."_ thought Izuku in anger. Mina tucked some hair behind her ear as the wind became calm. She then spoke with such love in her voice that it was quite unbearable.

"I want you to know that I will always be there for you, no matter the circumstances. No matter how bad the situation is, when you are sad, happy, jealous, excited or on the verge of death..I will always be there to come for you, Mr. Midoriya.."

"_I.."_

"Do you understand Mr. Midoriya? I will always be he-"

Her words were cut of by a powerful grip at her throat by Izuku's strong right hand. Mina, taken by surprise, tried to gasp for as much air as she could in spite of her limited oxygen. Her legs dangling and her eyes began to tear up in pain as she weakly scratched at Izuku's bandages to try and free herself.

"What do you want from me?!" he screamed into the wind with eyes of glittering, green orbuculum. The confusion and speculation in Izuku's voice was extremely apparent as he stared at Mina with a burning hate and ditrust.

"_What.."_ she thought. Izuku tightened his grip.

"What were you doing to me, you monster?! You think I can't tell what you're doing to me, Mina? You think I won't kill you, just because you tried to barge your way into my private life..!" he shouted furiously.

"Wh..a..t?" she squealed. Her eyes were beginning to close.

"_I need to...hurry.. say ..s-something.." _thought Mina in haste.

"Mi...do..r-ri..ya, ..that..fee..ling.. i..t's.." she said trying to breathe. Izuku, though blind with anger, needed to hear what she had to say to erase that feeling; it was so gross and unfamiliar. He loosened his grip on her throat. MIna breathed profusely and weakly coughed with his grip still on her throat.

"Speak." he said coldly.

"_Could it be.."_ Mina thought.

"T-That feeling..it's affectio..n.. I think…" she said quietly.

"Did you just say affection?" Izuku dropped her on the ground violently and began to cackle. "Were you so desperate to live that you would use such an excuse like 'affection'? I pity you, _'hero'_. Live, if you must.."

Heaving in for enough air to speak clearly, Mina clutched at her chest and saw that Izuku was turning to leave. She pounded her fist into the ground to somewhat stabilise her as she was on the ground.

"I'm telling the truth, Mr. Midoriya..Whether you killed me or not, you would have found out sooner or later that you were feeling affection." said Mina looking up at her terrifying teacher. Izuku stopped walking.

"_I've got his attention.." _Mina smiled gently. _"I'm glad."_

"And how do you know this, Mina? You think I strangled you for the fun of it? That feeling in me wouldn't stop as you spoke and spoke. Do you have another quirk that nobody knows? Go on, lie to me." he said, still not facing her. Eventually, Mina got up again and stomped behind him.

"Mr. Midoriya!" she shouted, finally getting his full attention as his eyes widened and he faced her. "Listen to me! You were feeling tight and hot at the chest, weren't you? You felt something warm at your heart that you couldn't manage to figure out, so you attacked me, right? If you felt all of that then..then you were feeling the emotion of affection. You felt threatened because you never felt affection like this before, right? It's going to be fine Mr. Midoriya..I still meant what I said before. I'll always be with you and I will always be your hero. Your first hero."

Izuku finally understood that what Mina was saying was correct. He was trained over the years countless amounts of times to know when someone was lying to you and with that, Izuku knew clearly now that Mina was telling the truth. Even without his training, a fool would know that she was telling the truth. All of it. About the deviant emotion 'affection', about knowing the toughness of his life and about being his..

"...first hero." Izuku repeated. To this, Mina smiled gloriously. Izuku thought back to his earlier years in life when he only had All Might and the other heroes to look up to, but somehow it never felt _real._ There was no real _connection of understanding. _But he was young and dumb back then, so he knew no better. Though, with Izuku's first hero being a student at U.A and him being a villain, it wasn't exactly the best case scenario but it was always something he wanted to have. Was his wish answered or did this timely sweetness mean a more brutal ending later on?

"You're right about everything. I am sorry for nearly killing you." said Izuku nonchalantly, as if nearly killing someone was a daily occurrence for him. He bowed to Mina.

"A-Ah, you are my teacher, you can't bow to me like that, idiot! Raise your head, please..!" exclaimed Mina, flailing her arms about in worry. Izuku swiftly lifted his head with a pissed look on his face.

"Hah? And who do you think you are talking to you, calling me an idiot?" he said coldly. Mina giggled.

"You are still my age though!"

"Tch." Izuku emitted emotionlessly as he walked off, covering his mouth with his hand.. "Just watch your damn tongue."

"Yeah, yeah." said Mina as she skipped a few meters behind him.

"_Am I getting through to you, Mr. Midoriya?"_

Till death do us part.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter thirty-six - **_Bitter words_

"Oi, Kurogiri," resonated a tone as hoarse as wood. "Get over here."

"As you wish, Shigaraki." responded the dark body of flames. Once Kurogiri got close enough to speak comfortably with Tomura, Tomura suddenly became quite stiff with irritation. Kurogiri glanced at him in question.

"You see, Kurogiri, this is about that bastard Tragedy. Remember when I said I'd avenge Sensei? I wasn't saying it for fun." Tomura laughed and his eyes looked like red marbles in a fit of pique. "No, no. A joke, it was not. I will _kill_ Tragedy with my own two hands, even if it is the last thing I do. The bastard thinks he can waltz into Sensei's territory out of nowhere and then kill him? Just the mere thought of my hand sealing themselves against Tragedy's vulnerbale neck and arms and legs and fucking brain really gets me going."

Tomura disintegrated a section of the steel table that his deadly hands laid on with a sick, twisted snarl smeared across his face.

"Hey, don't you feel the same, Kurogiri?"

Kurogiri was a little taken aback by the casual horror displayed in front of him. The bottle of misfortunes and curses encapsulated in a vessel called 'Tomura Shigaraki' was really one for surprises. Kurogiri had seen Tomura sprout from his adolescent ages and upwards into the monster he currently was, so seeing him openly acting out the role of an evil villain was nothing new. But, because of how goofy and irrational Tomura could be, Kurogiri would often forget how utterly destructive and downright vile he was at heart.

"Ah, somewhat." replied Kurogiri, keeping his composure. "I presume that you called me here for a purpose?"

"Yeah, I did. I have a plan to kill Tragedy as the new leader of the League of Villains. Round up the others here and I'll explain in full." Tomura said cross-legged. Kurogiri bowed and within a few minutes, all the members of the League had been assembled.

"Finally found something for us to do, Tomura?" queried Tezobi as she adjusted her standing position.

"I have. We, the League, are going to kill Tragedy. You know, the bastard that killed Sensei when he was weakened in Tartarus. I need a plan, so hurry up and think."

Mr. Compress and Spinner shook their heads in disappointment while Dabi grinned and soundly laughed.

"Shigaraki, you wanna avenge Sensei and get us all killed? Want me to burn you right here, right now?" said Dabi in annoyance and disbelief.

"Don't test me, Dabi. What are the problems with coming up with a plan to get revenge?" asked Tomura obliviously. Tezobi clicked her tongue.

"Idiot...Did Sensei not get through to you at all?" she said condescendingly and that triggered a switch in Tomura. "Sensei would not want the League to perish because a dumb person like you gave us all untimely deaths! Don't you see, Tomura? We should dissolve this god damned pathetic organization now that Sensei isn't here and we have nothing to do." Tezobi said seriously. "We are tattering the name of the League, the name that Sensei gave us. If the League is going down, let's not make a trainwreck out of it. Let's not struggle and dwiddle like bugs to a pesticide; can't we just end it clean and short without all this...this childish revenge?"

By the end of Tezobi's mini speech, a multiple of reactions were sent across the room. The air became stale and Tezobi became noticeably ruffled with the way Tomura was thinking. Kurogiri knew how vicious the fights and arguments could get between Tomura and Tezobi as they had grown up together. He could tell that the fight that would commence between the two that day would be one for the books.

"_This is going left…"_ Kurogiri thought.

"Well. Excuse what I'm about to say, but it's evident that Sensei made a mistake recruiting a _useless, weak-willed girl_ to fight alongside me. Perhaps that old age was finally getting to his head. Guess we will never know." Spat Tomura, making sure to emphasise the vulgar words he and someone else used to describe Tezobi. Tezobi's eyes flickered and swung in patent rancour to Tomura's unnecessary hostility as she stood up straight to slowly walk up to him, blind with rage.

"You bastard.." she mumbled. Tezobi transferred all her power and bloodlust into her single fist to deliver to Tomura, but before she could do that, Kurogiri grabbed her wrist gently.

"You mustn't." he said calmly, thought he could see how angry Tezobi was. Tezobi yanked her hand away from Kurogiri and sat somewhere else that was separated from the group. Magne, Compress and Spinner were surprised in a new way because they had never seen Tezobi act so out of line in such a manner. She was usually moody but she wasn't so open with her moodiness.

"_I wonder; did Shigaraki's words carry so much significance that she would bolt at him and kill him without a second thought? Hm. I do wonder." _Compress thought. Tomura, not taking notice of Tezobi's aggravated actions, proceeded to talk.

"I have connections with the underground and I could get some people to tell me where Tragedy would be tomorrow or in a few days. We will then all attack at once and kill him." explained Tomura.

"Shigarki, I can't tell if you are being daft on purpose or not but..really?" Dabi shook his head and lit a cigarette. "Attack all at once? You are being as useful as a pig in space."

"Dabi is indeed correct. It is simply foolish to charge into Tragedy's area and attack at once. Not all of our quirks are compatible with each other so we would slow down our allies." commented Compress from a corner. "Not to mention-"

"And isn't that handsome boy's quirk strong enough to kill Sensei?" Toga interrupted with a toothy grin. "You are way too weak to go up against a guy that killed Sensei. No offence, though." She smiled. Tomura punched the table with his fist and told her to shut up, she giggled instead.

"In case any of you are unaware, his quirk is called 'Asphyxia' and it is just as the name suggests: he can take away the oxygen supply of the opponent instantly, causing suffocation and results in instant death. We can't fight him if we don't know his quirk, let alone kill him. And may I add, working with Sensei has been an eye opener to the cruelty of the villain world and I have seen Tragedy in action before. He can be quite a formidable foe and he is dangerously sadistic. If this premature plan is to exist at all an instant kill is what we need, not a fight. Think of this opertation as an assassination, in opposed to an all-out war of revenge."

Tomura's body twitched in annoyance at the fact that Kurogiri was giving Tragedy so much credit that his well thought out revenge was being demeaned to a mere assassination! Unsightly and unheard of! While Magne and Compress were thinking seriously about a plan, Tezobi was smiling away at how much Tomura's pride and confidence had been degraded to. It had gotten to the point where his pride was nothing but a speck of immaturity. So much so, that Tomura's neck began to bleed from him grating his nails against his neck.

"So," Dabi exhaled white toxic smoke from his curved lips whilst staring at the dirty ceiling above him. "_Tragedy of Hades_. Does he have a weakness or disadvantage? Surely, he isn't so overpowered that he is immune to anything because if that's the case, we should just end this whole plan."

Kurogiri then had a minute or two to think.

"_Hold on. Dabi is actually quite right. What is Tragedy's weakness? In all I've read and heard and seen of Tragedy, he never seemed to have a rebound or recoil. Unless he is that good at concealing his weakness. Hm." _thought Kurogiri deeply. He hastily dismissed the thought of Tragedy concealing his weakness because then All for One would have noticed with one of his copious quirks.

All for One...All for One...All for One...Oh!

Kurogiri sprung up like a meerkat and snapped his fingers.

"Oh, that's it! How on earth did I miss it.."

The members of the League were all staring at Kurogiri in wonder and confusion but mostly curiosity at Kurogiri's unexpected reaction. Kurogiri briefly chuckled to himself before speaking again.

"Before you get your hopes up, this isn't a genetic weakness of anysort. Now that it has come to me, I conjecture that what I'm about to tell you isn't a weakness at all. Even so, I'll say it anyway. Tragedy is never caught off guard, ever. That's a fact. But, Sensei told me that calling out his name or shouting his name out of the blue would catch him off guard and affect his concentration and equilibrium during a battle."

As if frozen in time, Dabi's face stayed in its feverish position for about five seconds before he was brought back to earth by his immediate wave of disappointment.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." he said sighing. "I thought you would be serious and give us some good, useful pointers to what his weakness is so we could exploit that fruitfully, isn't that what everyone wants here? Look, I know Handsy over there talked about how the old age got to All for One's head, but I'd say it is happening to you as well."

"Shut up, Dabi. You think Kurogiri's an idiot that would say dumb shit?" retorted Tezobi defensively. Dabi gave her the death stare, which really did nothing. Tezobi looked at Kurogiri in just as much confusion as child would to an adult, even though she defended him. Kurogiri cleared his throat.

"While the 'weakness' I have suggested seems futile, think about it. Do any of you know his name?" there was a silent and the caucus of villains tilted and turned their heads as they realised that they truly did not know Tragedy's name.

"Kurogiri's right, actually." said Toga. "We don't know Tragedy's name. Let's use it against him!"

Everyone was talking about what methods they could all use to combine their newly found advantage with their gameplan. People suggested death traps, surprise attacks, bombs, gas attacks, hiring assassins and feigning death. Despite all the arguments and differing opinions, they finally stuck with a group operation.

Dabi was the only one to notice that they didn't have his name yet.

"_Do these people not know that we are lacking the very bit of information thats holding the plan together?" _thought Dabi in frustration. _"Should we just walk into the place we are going to without a name, guns blazing and all? Really.."_

"Shigaraki, Shigaraki..!" yelped Toga. Tomura scowled and waved his hand at her face like she was a bug.

"Fuck's sake..your voice is so close to my ear. So loud.." he grumbled. At this, Compress laughed and that earned him another scowl. Then, Toga dramatically stood up on the steel table and was careful not to step into the gaping hole that Tomura had previously created that fueled by his sadism.

"Let's name this.. _'Operation: Dying Hunny'!_ Because Tragedy has a nice face and he will die! I like it, do you like it?" Toga declares. Magne and Spinner turned their heads to look at her like she was crazy while Tezobi didn't care so much.

"You are crazy, you know that right?" commented Tomura. Toga replied with a peace sign and an innocent grin. Then she, agile as a cat, jumped from the table and landing elegantly on one foot.

"Hey, what's his name Kurogiri? You never mentioned it."

Dabi rolled his eyes and loudly dropped his arms on his lap.

"_Honestly." _he thought.

"Oh, his name is _'******'_." said Kurogiri. Toga unexpectedly smiled softly with a hazy look in her eyes as she stared beyond the barrier of the tinted window. It was as if she was pitying Tragedy's name.

"You know, his name is kinda sad don't you think? If I remember correctly, even from my bad education, doesn't his name mean.."

The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter thirty-seven - **_Onus of Pride_

In the empty gymnasium, Izuku laid on his back and stared at the stars of shimmering lights that hung from the ceiling quietly. There wasn't a draft of air or a quiver of sound that dared to disrupt the soft tranquility that had befallen the room he was in. The crack of sparkling sunrays pierced its way through the window and onto the floor, as if it were a staircase for an angel. Izuku scoffed at the thought of an angel coming down into the empty place where he was. He was dirty, the angel was clean. One just wouldn't purposely dirty a clean cloth, would they now?

Even though Izuku's adoration of peace seemed sweet and suitable, he already knew it was bound to end soon by the sound of loud, blithe teenagers running in and jabbering away without a care in the world. Even without the sound of them jabbering away, his mind would still preoccupied with the everlasting image of him strangling Mina. Izuku looked in contemplation at the staircase of light as he thought. As clear as day, Izuku could vividly recall the emotions both her and himself had felt at the time. The raw animosity displayed in his eyes, the crystal tears that dropped to her cheeks and gift of words she gave to Izuku.

To feel an alien emotion like affection, it was indeed horrendous and disgusting and sticky and strange but when he thought about it deeper, Izuku came to realise that it wasn't so bad to feel loved. It was not so pitiful to want to feel loved, either. But that wasn't the point. Izuku didn't yet know it, but he was scared of getting close to people, for in the past, those good people slipped right through his fingers and never came back. He had sacrificed so much and had so much stolen from him all due to his bad luck, so what was he to make of Mina calling herself his first hero? Izuku would not lie to himself nor kid himself. He knew that the things he truly wanted would be his for a second, and then disappear in an instant, so why would you want anything from the start?

Did Izuku truly want a hero?

Izuku clung to his knees and sighed.

"_Can't someone hurry up and get down here? I'm losing my mind with all these annoying trivial thoughts.."_ he thought. Then, much to Izuku's surprise, from afar he heard heavy, trudging footsteps approach his direction in confidence but also in solitude. Izuku listened carefully on edge and the footsteps became louder and slower. It was almost as if this person had no desire to go to the gym. So then why go in the first place? Izuku had already taught the class that day how to conceal their presence, though no where near to the extent or caliber of Izuku's, so perhaps it wasn't a student?

"_But the weight of this person..it couldn't possibly be an adult's. So then what fool would just disregard my teachings and go their own way-" _Izuku cut off his own thoughts with an exhausted grumble of annoyance and awareness.

"_It's Bakugou, isn't it. Fuck."_ Izuku thought. He remembered what happened the last time Bakugou wanted to approach him and he didn't want to go through that again. Izuku got up and walked nearer to the door so that he would save himself the awkward long walk to Bakugou and to get whatever kind of conversation that awaited him out of the way. After about 3 minutes, the certain explosive guest got to the door with a calm frown written on his face until he saw Izuku staring him down coldly. Bakugou, who was naturally surprised, flinched then regained his fearless demeanour as he opened the door.

"_That bastard, did he know I would be coming? And he better lose those devil eyes of his before I smash his face in."_ thought Bakugou ghastly. While Bakugou thought so arrogantly and ferociously, he knew deep within himself that he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on Izuku. Maybe in the past, but not anymore. A haughty facade is made of ice and will melt in the face of true power.

"Deku." growled Bakugou as he looked towards the floor as he suddenly became nervous and hesitant to say what he had to say.

"What?" Izuku replied unfazed. Bakugou's words then choked up in his mouth as he tried to form an apology for all that he'd done to Izuku in the past. He suddenly felt like the real villain instead of Izuku.

"_What do I say?"_

"_How do I say it?"_

"_..shit.."_

"_Why do it anyway?"_

"_The damage has already been done."_

"_What would Kirishima say..?"_

"_Will Deku accept it?"_

"_Haha, this wasn't even my idea…"_

"_Will you let me be a hero, Deku?"_

Destructive thoughts, constructive thoughts and thoughts he'd rather forget about were floating about in his head and intoxicated Bakugou. He couldn't speak. He was afraid but he didn't want to acknowledge that fear. But those poisonous thoughts wanted to stay as poisonous thoughts and never wanted to leave through his mouth.

"Bakugou."

Bakugou looked up the second his name was called out from Izuku's mouth and he had such a helpless look on his face that Izuku was caught off guard a little.

"_What on earth is wrong with you, Bakugou?" _thought Izuku in confusion. Bakugou cursed at himself and scratched his head and looked to the side as he mumbled.

"D-De..M-Midoriya, I mean. Sorry. I'm sorry."

Caught in the illness of hysteria and irritance, Izuku gave off a dark, hollow chuckle. A laugh that nobody, not even himself had heard before. It was a laugh filled to the brim with tiredness, sincerity, insanity, murkiness, disbelief, anger and just...amusement. To come to the point in his life that even Bakugou would pull a joke like this was just too cruel. Izuku wondered if pranks as evil as these were common because if they were, Izuku would really become a villain. Izuku's hands covered his face and his long, snakes of black hair laced itself around his body and fingers to shield him from everything.

"Of all the beatings I have received in my life, of all the names I've been called and all the times I've been abandoned..this apology of yours truly is the most diabolic, Bakugou."

Bakugou, still shaken from the dark chuckle and sharp words that were sprayed from Izuku's mouth, went to reply with all he had within him.

"It wasn't a damn joke, okay!" shouted Bakugou with wavering words. "I'm telling you what I wanted to say, damn it. What more do you want me to do? I'm sorry for all I've done to you, really!"

"And what do you want me to do with that? Ten years of damage to me won't suddenly disappear because you decide to spew an apology that doesn't even sound sincere. Even with the damage, what do I say?"

"Just..I, shit, I've said sorry. I'm sorry, Midoriya! Do you want me to say your name? Is that it?" Bakugou howled. Izuku then revealed his face; his milky, indifferent face and his fiery green eyes.

"You know, you are quite conceited to think saying my name will make me feel any better. If anything, it's worse for me to hear my name come out of your mouth, Bakugou Katsuki." spat Izuku coldly.

Bakugou then began to birth a new rage and his hair seemed to look spikier and his knuckles seemed to get whiter and his teeth seemed to rattle in fury.

"Hehh. Have I finally flipped the switch within you? Have you realised that this joke of yours is no longer funny?" said Izuku sarcastically.

"Why did I even bother doing this? You won't even fucking listen." mumbled Bakugou in a frustrating way.

"Indeed. Why did you do this?" asked Izuku calmly.

"Well, the class knows about our history and they no longer think I can be a hero and Kirishima wanted to help me rebuild their trust and...he and everyone else wanted me to apologise to you. Properly. I know that I need to apologise. How can I just..live knowing of all the catastrophic things I have done to you? My family, the heroes and my friends..they won't accept me. And I can't accept myself if this...weed of guilt isn't cut off for good." Bakugou then looked Izuku in the eyes. "Do you fucking get it now? I am apologising with all I have. This is all I have to say and all I have to give. Frankly, I don't know what else you want me to fucking do. I have done what I can and I'm damn sorry I can't do more. I've learned now that I'm wrong but don't for a second think I won't someday beat you."

Izuku's eyes were wide and his mind was blank with incredulity at what he had just heard. Just like with Mina, he could sense and feel that everything Bakugou was saying was true and he meant every word he said. Izuku enhanced his hearing and could hear the thumping of Bakugou's heart and his breathing loud and clear.

"_So, you finally got your head out of your ass. Great."_ thought Izuku with a tiny inward smile. As much as Izuku still did not trust nor like Bakugou, he was still his teacher and he could tell for a fact that Bakugou had a long way to go in terms of becoming a good hero. But, it was evident he was getting there. Slowly but surely.

"Okay." said Izuku with crossed arms. Bakugou looked up, confused at what Izuku meant by that one little word.

"_After all I've said.."_ thought Bakugou cross.

"'_Okay'_ what? What do you mean by that? After all I've said, that's all you've got to say, Deku?" asked Bakugou with an apparent sound of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, don't think so highly of yourself. I've heard your apology and I can feel the authenticity of it. I know you aren't lying nor joking and..I accept your apology," at this, Bakugou gave a sneer of triumph. Though, that was short lived in reaction to what Izuku would say next. "...but I do not forgive you. Bakugou, no matter how many times you apologise or bow to me, I will never forgive you. I can promise you that."

There was some sort of scary seriousness that lurked deep within Izuku's words as he spoke and that shook Bakugou's core significantly. Nevertheless, he retorted.

"What?! What do you even mean, bastard? Why can't you be normal and just forgive and forget?!" screeched Bakugou in his usual aggravated tone as he created explosions in his hand. Izuku sighed and picked up his bo staff, completely unperturbed as he walked towards a few dummies.

"You are so damn loud, can you shut up? I'm not going to forgive and forget what you did to me Bakugou. That's absolutely impossible. If you've no more business with me, I would appreciate it if you left quietly."

With the click of his tongue, Bakugou stubbornly decided to leave. He left feeling better. Lighter, somehow. The persistent weed that had sprouted within Bakugou had left and no longer bloomed so fruitfully. He no longer felt so guilty and he felt more worthy of becoming a hero. He thought of his friends accepting him fully and the bright smile that Kirishima would give him. It was too perfect. But Bakugou thought back to what Izuku said to him. To forgive and forget?

"_Absolutely impossible, huh." _Bakugou thought.

A simple role that I was never suited for, alas my soul has no fixed shape.

**Thank you for reading. My apologies for the slight delay. Reina Watagi, a friend of mine, wrote in the reviews that I had things to attend to in real life so maybe some of you saw that. I might or mightn't be delaying the next chapter as the issues aren't over yet, but I will still post nevertheless. Again, thank you. - Takahiro.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter thirty-eight - **_Death of a Hunny!_

"You know, I don't know why I agreed to do this with you. It really is just a plan for disaster and unnecessary conflict, if you ask me." complained Overhaul as he walked alongside Tragedy in gloom. Tragedy giggled.

"Disaster, you say? Now, why would that be the case? I'm only going to try and form an alliance with them. Say, isn't that what you want as well, Chisaki?"

Overhaul cringed and covered his mouth as if he has just sniffed a most putrid smell.

"Alliance? Don't make me laugh. I prefer the word 'pawns'. I will use the name of the League to create and enforce an immeasurable amount of power and respect to the Yakuza. Once their use has run dry," Overhaul pulled up his gloves, creating a loud snapping sound. "I will dispose of them."

"It's been a while since you declared that you would 'dispose' of someone, like they're trashy vermine saturated with disease."

Overhaul just coughed and kept walking down the dirty, ominous road that paved the alleys. As he walked, he was silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Tragedy, though the power and overall threat of the League has significantly decreased, we can not underestimate their remaining potential. You say you just want to talk to them about an alliance, but don't you remember when you provoked them with that call after you massacred Tartarus? They won't be as friendly as you- no, they would consider you a foe that needs to be killed. What if they put up a fight, then what?" proclaimed Overhaul in frustration. He was beginning to believe he was the only one thinking about the dangers that would occur in the likely event of a battle against the League.

The sound of Tragedy's deadly footsteps came to a halt and his hands rested in his pockets as he stared at the mellow glow of the lamp above his head. The crows that flew overhead seemed to be attracted to the detrimental aura surrounding Tragedy, because they seemed to sing songs of praise and fear and nosiness. Their wings flapped erratically and their soul-sucking black eyes burned through the murky charcoal lavender sky.

"_Ah. To have such dark birds in the place of a white butterfly… does this mean bad luck awaits me? Chisaki seems to think so." _thought Tragedy blankly. After thinking of such a thought, Tragedy's overtone became as black as the eyes of the crows and as gloomy as the pools of puddles on the ground. He walked slowly towards Overhaul in a frightful manner with his hands swinging as he spoke in an indecent way.

"_This guy.." _thought Overhaul.

"Chisaki.." Tragedy shook his head like a teacher would reprimand a student. "You speak of this meeting as thought the League and I were going to war. Have you know faith in me, Chisaki? Do my eyes reek of such a prominent weakness that even you would fret as much as you are right now? I believe I'll say this to you for perhaps the last time: This is a gathering of alliance, a new league and a guild, if you will. I, too, plan on beating them into submission to become my pawns. And if all goes to hell.." Tragedy then cocked his head to the side as his eyes soldered a playful glow like dying stars in the sky and his sharp, razor canines were on display like a wild dog would flaunt its shackles.

"Well, words are enough for the wise, Chisaki."

Overhaul was stationary for a brief amount of time, due to being stunned by the passionate roguery presented right before his eyes. Overhaul had known Tragedy for many, many years and during those innumerable years, Overhaul had gotten a front row seat to see the sight of Tragedy's mercilessness and people begging for their lives when in the hands of the pinnacle of sinful jest: Tragedy. Once Overhaul realised that Tragedy was serious about what he was saying, he laughed at himself at the thought of him trying to make Tragedy change his mind when it came to these kind of things.

"_To think that I even thought of changing the crazy bastard's mind… silly."_

The both of them walked down the chilly, quiet roads where only the sound of Tragedy's blissful humming and merry singing could be heard which was much to Overhauls annoyance as he'd rather absorb all the peacefulness he could before the rain of blood commenced.

"_...and then the little boy begged the witch to stop cursing him with scars of hate,_

_But then her villainy began to inflate,_

_She sat below the house of flames,_

_As she blessed the weak, ill and the lame._

_Though, blessings not of kindness and love,_

_They were blessings of birthing a new evil from- _oh. Chisaki we are here!" exlaimed Tragedy abruptly from his peculiar song. Chisaki looked up from where they were standing and saw a dark, cosmic warehouse that seemed to bear the stench of death and vacancy. At this, Overhaul coughed vigorously and clutched his chest as he trembled in his coat in sickness.

"You must have a screw loose if you think I am stepping foot into this garbage lot of a place. Honestly." said Overhaul angrily. Tragedy spoke again as he stepped into the already open building.

"Seriously, Chisaki, not everything in this world will be exactly the way you want it," replied Tragedy with a scowl. "You are always so sour and narrow minded, open your eyes a bit and you'll see all the fun you're missing out on."

"_So, now you're going to lecture me? Tch." _thought Overhaul. He reluctantly walked into the warehouse as well as he shieldied his mouth and nose with his hand while the other was in his pocket. The old, dark warehouse was hollow and numbing as barely anything furnished it. As if it had been abandoned, there were only dust-collecting boxes and steel, lustrous tables as far as the eye could see and both the detrimental villains looked around in dismay and irritance.

"So they left? Or were they never here? I wonder if they knew of my arrival.." quiered Tragedy as he spoke to himself. Overhaul was as silent as a nun as he looked around inspecting everything and he found some evidence that the League had previously inhabited the empty warehouse.

"No," said Overhaul as his penetrative golden eyes looked up emotionlessly. "They were definitely here recently. This steel table has a jagged hole in it; it was probably Shigaraki's doing as it's impossible to create a hole into such a rigid alloy like steel without some kind of power. I doubt there are any drills here anyway."

Tragedy went to bend over and at the hole for himself. He smiled microscopically in conformation.

"Yes, it is Shigaraki's doing. They're close. But how did they know to leave just on time? Have I been betrayed by anyone, I wonder." thought Tragedy carelessly as he sat on a table. "Well, no matter. I'll just play with them a little and then have them die."

Overhaul, completely ignoring Tragedy's malicious words, went to look around the back of the room a little more thoroughly. Even if Tragedy was not so serious about manipulating the League, that didn't mean that he had to give up his chance of creating an uprising for the long forgotten Yakuza. Overhaul appreciated that he wasn't as well known as Tragedy or All for One or the League of Villains, but he planned on changing that all. He was incredibly serious about it.

Tragedy swung his head back and whined like a kid that had been disappointed by a game not working out the way he wanted it to.

"Oh my goodness..! This isn't fun at all. I am so bored..!" he cried from the front of the warehouse. "Also, once this whole thing is over, I'm gonna go find Izuku. Maybe he'll amuse me again."

"I'm not going with you when that happens, I have no business with a kid, you sick freak. Shut up." mumbled Overhaul. Then, like magic, he saw a piece of white paper dangling on the corner of a table. In haste, he ran to the paper and grabbed it like he'd just found a safe of gold.

"Tragedy, over here!" he shouted. Tragedy quickly swung his head back forward as he went to approach Overhaul.

"What did you find?"

"This, it's a letter."

"_Our base of operations have moved elsewhere. Meet us at: Ringo XXX, XXX Street. Ward **."_

"Tr- Oh my..."

What Overhaul saw was something that would be forever stained into his memory, like a tattoo of bad omens. He saw a feverish Tragedy giggling like a devilish spirit as his eyes became rings of villainous luck whilst he ran his fingers through his inky black hair. With the whole warehouse being so hollow and bare, Tragedy's miraculous voice was heard from every single corner of the room. His ivory sword-like teeth were exposed as he resembled the incarnation of evil. His fingers curled toward his palms and he bit his lips excitedly.

"Aah..Chisaki! This is like a game, they want a game, don't they? Hey, it would be rude to refuse an invitation like this, one so vast and grand." growled Tragedy as he dashed like a bullet out of a gun, leaving Overhaul behind.

"_To think I tried to make your decision waver, how foolish of me. But there are sure to be many traps at the new location. Good luck defeated that crazy bastard, League." _thought Overhaul as he ran in Tragedy's direction to catch up with him.

Now outside, Tragedy had his hands in his pockets and his signature smug face carved into his very being as he thought of the possible scenarios that could happen once he got to the facility. Though Tragedy loved torture and seemed like an immature coward that didn't care for consequences, he was no idiot nor was he a fool. Anyone who overlooked an atrocity like him were sure to meet their denouement briskly and painfully.

He hummed nonchalantly on the surface but he thought in a calculated manner through his twisted mind.

"_I can't take chances with the League so I should think outside of the box with these possibilities. They might go classic and simple and put a bag over my head and beat me to death. I won't be able to take their oxygen away if I can't see them, so it is possible that could be the case. Or they could make the room pitch black and kill me then and there. Perhaps they'd fill the room with some toxic gas that would kill me instantly. Though, I wager Kurogiri has exposed my quirk to them so I should incorporate that into it." _he thought. _"If it involves my quirk, I better supply some spare oxygen that will enough for maybe, what, four hours. Heh, you never know how long games last once you're playing."_

Tragedy saw a group of lowly thugs and wimpy villains hanging about near the walls of the alleys, so he just mercilessly and ruthlessly killed them without a second thought before any of them could run. Tragedy looked at them and stored their oxygen for himself.

"Yes, it probably will have something to do with my quirk." he whispered to himself with a firm look on his face. Once Overhaul finally caught up to Tragedy, the two of them quietly walked in the directions that lead to the particular location. After what seemed like hours, they both got to the premises. Externally, the color of the walls were a dark peach with hues of black and grey near the corners. The roof was caving in but didn't actually fall into the building.

"So, their new base of operation is in a worse building than the old one. Fucking wonderful." commented Overhaul in a sarcastic fashion, though on the inside he was furious and disgusted and would do anything else but joke around.

As they drew nearer the humongous door, Tragedy put his ear against the door to try and see if he could hear anything that would indicate some kind of clue that would be useful. Unfortunately, the door was too dense so he heard nothing. Overhaul and Tragedy stepped into the room but the second they did, the large door shut soundlessly and both of them immediately fell to their knees, Overhaul passed out eventually.

There was no oxygen in the room.

"_So, I was right."_ thought Tragedy. The eight blurry figures in front of Tragedy appeared to wear masks and oxygen tanks and laughed as they all basked in the glory of triumph. Though it did not last at all. Tragedy used the oxygen he acquired from the thugs and villains he killed earlier to support him and so, he did not need a mask, which terrified the villains in front of him significantly.

As if he had risen from the dead, Tragedy stumbled to his feet with his head drooped down at first but as he breathed and breathed and breathed, he grinned brightly to the figures in front of him.

"The League of Villains… you thought of a most supreme plan to kill me but did you notice something? I have someone with me, you see. Excuse me.."

Tragedy quickly got down again to breathe life into Overhaul using his mouth. After a few seconds, Overhaul broke into a violent coughing fit as his chest burned like a forest fire in the summer heat. Once Overhaul saw the shaking figures in front of him, he got up with such a scornful look on his face that he rivalled an evil king looking down on peasants, belittling them to nothing but insects.

"Do you know how many oral diseases exist in this world that you could have passed onto me, you piece of shit? I will actually kill you.." shouted Overhaul to Tragedy as if the League weren't even in front of them.

"You do know I can't hear you, right? Oh well, we can lip read. And yes, yes. We can kill each other later, but there are bigger fish to fry and they lay in abundance right in front of us, Chisaki."

"Tch."

The League, all except for Kurogiri and Tezobi, were shaking in their boots at the two towers of monstrosity that looked like they were breathing without oxygen. They both did it so effortlessly that they argued with each other in such a condescending casual manner without a care in the world. Did they not fear the League? Did they want to die? Perhaps it was their quirks… Though they all shook, they all shook for different reasons. Some shook in pure fear, some shook in rage and some shook because of the Siberian temperature of the room. The scariest part for all of them is that they could all die in silence. They would all die and nobody would hear it because of their being no oxygen; they truly were a smart bunch.

"I think that either we didn't properly drain out the oxygen or that Mustard fellow gave us some fake oxygen shit. I'm taking my mask off." declared Spinner stupidly.

"Don't!" cried Magne, but of course her cries fell upon not only deaf ears, but a deaf room.

"_How embarrassing." _thought Kurogiri.

"_Fake oxygen shit. Really."_ thought Tezobi. The moment Spinner took off the mask he fell to his knees and he landed quicker than Overhaul did, for he carried redundancy swords on his back. Instantly, Spinner squirmed on the floor frantically like a fish out of water, a drowning human and bugs to a pesticide. The more he struggled, the worse it got. Moving about like that would mean using your muscles and even a fool knows why it's in their best interests not to flail your muscles about when there's little to no oxygen.

Spinner died within five seconds.

Despite being unable to hear anyway, the room fell as silent as the grave and everyone looked at the dead corpse. Tragedy just sighed and shook his head as thoughts of torure spun around in his mind. He stopped himself though, he became a little too excited.

"_Better not count my chickens before the eggs hatch."_ he thought. Toga's cheeks flushed profusely at the sight of Tragedy smiling and she dashed towards him like a cat would to a fish. As she swung her knife at him, he shut his eyes and dodged her attacks swiftly he kicked her in the spine which made her stumble momentarily before she back flipped back up easily. She then kneed him in the groin before roundhouse kicking his leg. She then quickly hit a pressure point. All of these chain attacks caused Tragedy to slightly stagger but then he delivered a powerful blow to her jaw then punched her in the gut.

After an hour or two of rough fighting, Tragedy was getting sick and tired of Toga. He didn't want to waste even a millilitre of oxygen for anyone useless. Toga became slower, perhaps her oxygen was running out or maybe it was because her own pressure points were being hit. Tragedy decided he wanted to end her by playing about with her like he did with Poor. Mr Scammer. It was only a suitable death for her for causing him so much trouble.

So, he took her oxygen and then let her breath again, took her oxygen, let her breathe and so on so forth.

"_He...r-really is..putting up..a..fight! I doubt...I'll..Live…" _thought Toga in distress. No matter how many times she kicked and punch, it did no damage to Tragedy's body and that annoying smile stuck to his face proudly. His expression seemed to scream _'are you getting tired, yet? Shall I put you out of your misery, or shall I toy with you a bit more?'_. When Toga knew she would have the upper hand in a battle, she would be subtly confident and play around freely, but in the rare moments that her opposition was stronger or faster, she would panic and become more aggressive, but she'd lose her strategic sense quickly. She then died. Done. Nothing special, right?

Overhaul, not forgetting how he shamefully collapsed when he entered the room, looked daggers at Magne and Compress even though it primarily was not their fault. Compress, who was not one to fight, still took up a fighting stance and got his quasar marbles ready between the gaps of his index and middle finger, middle finger and pinky. Magne, on the other hand, yanked out a dense, ponderous pillar from the ground as if it were nothing but a block of polystyrene and was ready to launch it at Overhaul without a second thought to crush him then and there.

Magne was charging towards Overhaul, who looked noticeably irritated, at full speed and even though no sound could be heard, the tremors of how ground-breaking her feet could be felt like mini earthquakes. Overhaul calmly took off his gloves with the most pissed off look plastered across his face. His golden eyes burned and bubbled in anger and repugnance as he calmly slipped one of his gloves off and kept it safe in his pocket.

"To think I'd have to get my hands dirty..." he mouthed to himself. Tragedy just glared at Toga's chilling body on the ground.

"_I guess pleasure leaves as quickly as it comes."_ he thought. Overhaul crouched down onto the floor and lightly touched it, causing extensive, bulky thorns to protrude from the ground. In shock, Compress dropped his marbles and they smashed on the floor into a million pieces. The point of the thorn pierced directly through Compress' heart and through his entire torso. The same fate happened to Magne as her pillar of concrete shattered like the glass had done. The blood splattered on the walls, painting the dull and lifeless shapeless slabs of wood into a masterpiece of expiry, approved by Mammon himself. Some of the blood got onto Tragedy's hair and face and he modestly licked the blood from the corner of his lips.

As Dabi stared at all the gore and destruction created by the two formidable men in front of him, he began to realise how weak he was compared to them. He didn't stand a chance and his quirk was useless in these circumstances. In his life of being a villain, he learned that you could not fight everyone and that if you had to run, you could fucking run. Survival is survival and he had already abandoned his pride. What was there to lose?

"_This fucking League is useless to me, but it was fun while it lasted. That's it for me." _he thought. Dabi went up to Kurogiri tiredly and stomped inattentively on the blood sucking ground. He tapped him on the shoulder with a terminated look on his face. It was a look of dissatisfaction and weakness; a look Kurogiri was all too familiar with. With no words or violence, Kurogiri understandingly opened a portal for Dabi. The portal led to nowhere in particular and nowhere that either of them knew. It could have been to a different country; they just did not know. Nevertheless, Dabi stepped into it. With all that was going on, nobody noticed him slip away. All accept Tragedy.

"So he got bored, huh." he giggled.

Tragedy yawned and saw that he had about two hours worth of oxygen left so he wanted to wrap up the fight quickly. He waved innocently to Tezobi, Kurogiri and Tomura like they were old friends but Tomura was fuming he couldn't do anything about it. At first, his plan was to brutally murder Tragedy to avenge All for One, but Kurogiri suggested assassination as it would be easier and more reasonable. But in the end, both resolutions were useless. Tomura was only there to intimidate the opponent, he wasn't aware that Tragedy would come with someone else. But even so, he still would have lost. It was truly the worst!

Everything was looking down and nothing seemed to get better for the League of Villains. The little effort the had were useless and didn't work at all. But then..

"_I might as well do it now. It's our only chance to defeat this son of a bitch Tragedy!" _Tezobi thought. She got out the prepared pen and paper that had been prepared previously to write out the forbidden name.

In bold black and esperate letters, it read:

"_Yokeina Haisha.", _she ran at him in full speed as she did this. Both Overhaul and Tragedy were horrifically shocked at what they saw on that paper. Overhaul looked to Tragedy who had turned a ghostly pale and his eyes were terror-stricken. His cheeks were sunken in and his mouth was gape in fear. Alarming and frightful memories of his childhood and life were dancing around jovially in his mind and with the way he was gasping, he almost used all his oxygen. He was frozen on the spot, completely vulnerable.

Tezobi was startled at how much that affected him. He looked so _broken_ and _distraught_. It was utterly sickening how much hurt and dread lived within him. She almost felt sorry for him, but she couldn't afford to get distracted by her emotions as it would cost her life. She sped towards him with the remaining oxygen left in her tank but then spikes much larger and much greater and much deadlier came shooting towards her. Kurogiri, at the exact nanosecond, created a portal for both her and Tomura to get through which was convenient as both tanks of oxygen had run out.

That left just Overhaul and Tragedy. Overhaul almost mouthed Tragedy's name but he didn't want to worsen his state or anger him. He was already so destroyed and all that name did was tarnish his soul even more.

"_Shitshitshitshit, nononono not again please no…."_ Tragedy thought in agony.

And then there were three.

**This is an explanation to Tragedy's name, since it's Japanese.**

**Yokeina Haisha (Haisha is his first name): ****余計な ****(****よけいな****) ← Yokeina. ****敗者 ****(****はいしゃ****) ← Haisha. **

**Yokeina= meaning 'unnecessary' or 'superfluous'. **

**Haisha= meaning 'loser' or 'defeated person'**

**There's of course a backstory for him but that's a tale for another time.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter thirty-nine - **_A Sober brat_

_(Tezobi's backstory)_

The story of a messed up little girl begins here.

Tezobi was never one for children. She loathed and detested everything to do with those fiendish little critters with everything in her being. Tezobi hated them because she found them repulsively sweet, like the rotting honey bees that nested near the lake or the blinding sun on a depressing Sunday. Children constantly needed support and someone to rely on; they were a huge burden that were forcingly put on the earth and they had to be nourished by the adults. The drained, careless adults. Though, it wasn't always like this. The aversion of children that had been accumulated over the years had been fueled and fed by Tezobi's unfortunate upbringing.

She had the upbringing of one abusive father and no mother.

At the tender age of five, she had a fringe that obscured her eyes like a sheepdog that was as white as her skin. Her eyes were almost doll like, for they were always glazed over and shining brightly. Her gorgeous, lively smile was as clear as day and as soft as the breeze that shook hands with the leaves. Though she had god-given features and an innocent gaze, she had nowhere for her beauty to be projected. She didn't go to public school. In fact, she didn't go to school at all; everything she knew at that tender age was thrown at her by her father. All she had known was what her father had told her and all that she had to cling to was what her father told her.

Perhaps that beauty of hers would only be her father's to destroy. But for what reason?

Night after night and day after day, Tezobi received lashes upon lashes on her snow white skin and her velvety pink cheeks became the home to horrid purple bruises. Her ankles had been tormented so much that they had lilac rings around them, which looked like shackles. It was like a reminder that anytime she tried to escape the madhouse, she would be whipped even harder and beaten even more barbarically. Tezobi would wail and kick and scream on the floor crying, _'Father, stop, please..'_ only to have the old man laugh right back at her. Tezobi would often never go outside, for her gallery of marks would be seen by the masses and it as obvious as anything what the conclusion of a pale, timid little girl having dark patches on her body would be. Her father was cruel, but not an idiot.

She got thrashed senseless when she was younger, so much so that getting hit by her father no longer made her cry or wail or kick or fret. One might say she had accepted that nobody would save her and nobody really cared for her or told her anything nice unless people were coming over. And even then, they told her, _'Flash a smile for us sweetheart'. _It was a cycle of despair that would never end and she knew that she had to live with it until she was much much older, or something bad happened to her father.

But miracles don't happen like that. Though, in the place of a miracle was Tezobi's older sister. She was perhaps four years older but no less pretty as Tezobi herself. They had the same face; eyes, lips, nose and all. The difference was that her name was Ruji and she was beat and verbally abused more severely. She was also a lot more timid and she always second-guessed. However, compared to Ruji's chronicles of hurt and escapades of oppression, Tezobi's beatings were nothing. They both suffered unimaginable amounts of pain every day, but Tezobi loved Ruji very much. She would frequently dream about running away from their evil father to live in their own house and grow the prettiest flowers and eat the best food and wear the best clothes. She dreamed of having all the love in the world given to Ruji and dreamed that one day, all their scars would disappear and never come back.

Tezobi's father's verbal venom knew no bounds. Especially on the night he was heavily intoxicated.

"Hey, Ruji." slurred Tezobi's father as he took a swig from his bottle. "Don't you think you are getting a little too big? You are so expensive nowadays. The older ya' get, the more money you cost. It's a pain the ass. _You're _a pain in the ass."

"..." Ruji said nothing but clutched the hem of her black shorts. Tezobi sat awkwardly on the floor in her dad's old baggy sweater. She was only five, so it fit like a dress. She stared at the television like she was hypnotised and her eyes reflected the blue moving images depicted on the screen.

"You are already, what, eight?"

"...nine." whispered Ruji as she looked down to her toes in shame.

"_He doesn't know my age...hah. Figures. I hope he doesn't beat me too harshly in front of Tezobi. She's still a kid that's younger than me. She will be upset and afraid and..and she has nobody else." _thought Ruji.

"Hah?!" roared Tezobi's father as he spat on the floor and the sofa. Ruji flinched and Tezobi looked up in worry.

"_Big Sister Ruji.."_ thought Tezobi.

"Ruji! You and that wretched scum of a sister of yours have been nothing but an excuse for more money wasted. You know," he drank some more. "That mother of yours probably ran off to sell her body. That whore, I can't believe she left me with such burdens! But don't you see, Ruji? Instead of corrected me on useless shit, how about you go and become a prostitute like your mother? Heh, and don't worry. I won't look at you in disgust, you are already the lowest of the low. Prostitution would be you ticking off another box on the list of shit for money. Tch, get outta my damn sight…" he took a large gulp from his bottle and waved his hand in her face like she was a nuisance of a bug.

Tezobi got up and was fuming with rage at what her father had to say about not only her mother but Ruji as well! Tezobi didn't really care about her mother because she had never seen her before and to hear that she was a prostitute was nothing to her. But, Ruji was more than scum at the bottom of the bucket. She was more than the lowest of the low. She was adorable, brave and she cared for Tezobi like a real mother.

Tezobi, who was livid, got up from her awkward position to stomp over to her father. Ruji saw her smaller sister coming over and her eyes frayed in panic. She waved her hands about, telling Tezobi to go back or she'd be hit harder than she ever had. But Tezobi was as persistent as ever and didn't stop. Eventually, her father saw what was going on and he was eventually enraged.

"Ruji, shut up and move outta the way for fuck's sake!" commanded her father with snarl. Ruji hesitated to let go of her sister, but she did. Tezobi fearlessly came in front of her scowling father, who dabbed his empty bottle on his tongue for the last few drops of alcohol before shaking it.

"I...I don't like that you are being mean to Big Sister Ruji, so stop it..now!" she shouted as she shut her eyes and spread her arms like a starfish in front of Ruji to protect her from her father. Ruji's look of petrified worry melted into an expression of an even deeper affection for her sister. Her cheeks blushed a cute hue of pink as she finally let go of Tezobi's fragile, bruised shoulders.

Tezobi's father looked at his two daughters in vexation before looking at the thick green bottle. He grabbed the belly of the bottle and moved it about in his hand then weighed it in his hand, as if he was calculating the dimensions of the bottle.

He grinned.

"Tezobi, I know you have never been to school before, but here's some physics for you. How much damage do you think a thick glass bottle would do to a little girl's skull?"

The room was silent and Tezobi's pupils minimized, emphasising her milky white sclera. Her skin, if it wasn't pale enough, got whiter and whiter and she soon lost the rosiness of her cheeks, the brightness of her smile and the luster of her chivalry. Her pupils slowly, slowly moved up to meet the blasted green bottle and the toothy grin of her father.

Tezobi's father got up to chase the already running Tezobi.

"Come back here you useless piece of shit!"

Tezobi got used to the maze of couches and furniture that lay dotted around the room randomly, and with her being smaller and quicker she was able to run around unscathed. She was getting a little excited despite knowing that all this would lead to a most bitter end. Ruji, who couldn't stand the look of her sister about to be caught and assaulted with a glass bottle, ran after Tezobi too.

At this, Tezobi was delighted and she beamed a little. She thought that Ruji would her fend off her father and run away. But that wasn't the case. With Tezobi being so much smaller than her towering sister, Ruji was able to perfectly cup herself around Tezobi's body, shielding her away from the glass bottle.

"_Wait- RUJI!" _

Crash!

A blunt, muffled kind of crash was heard by Tezobi in the living room. Along with that, she felt warm tears slide onto her forehead and down her cheeks; but they weren't her own. They were Ruji's. As she was shielding Tezobi, she was sacrificing herself for her as well by taking the harsh, merciless crashes of the bottle. Little fragments of glass got stuck in her back and small dots of blood arose from her shirt, but they weren't seen through her black shirt. After the bottle broke in half and left a sharp piece of glass sticking out of it, her father grabbed the bottom of Ruji's shirt and lifted it up, revealing the profusion of bruises on her white skin.

The bottle acted like a dagger on Ruji's back as it slid down the surface of her skin and it bled in abundance, but not so much that it needed medical attention. Of course, Tezobi could not see the eternal damage being done to her sister and she could not see her face either but she knew her sister was in pain due to the way Ruji dug her black nails into Tezobi's back to relieve her affliction. Ruji's whimpered and sniffed occasionally because she tried to keep her suffering discreet and soon… the pain stopped. The pain stopped and a heavy object clanged on the wooden floorboards and the sound resonated within the room for a while. Then, loud footsteps became softer and quieter, softer and quieter, softer and quieter…

Ruji stung from the cut so much that she was unable to hear or sense any of what was happening. She didn't know that it was now just her and Tezobi in the room, for she shook like a leaf as she still held onto Tezobi. Tezobi was still in shock at her sister shaking in fear and sadness, but she wrapped her arms slowly around her sister's back, only to feel a warm, sticky metallic substance.

"_Blood… This is my fault. I should have protected you."_ thought Tezobi in melancholy. She embraced Ruji harder and Ruji began to cry. Her cries turned into louder, more emotional sobs and wails until she finally broke down on her knees and covered her face. Tezobi still rigidly squeezed her sister, not saying a word. Though words were not needed at that point in time, only the warmth of two people that loved each other were sufficient.

A month of the same harrowing agony had been going on in Tezobi's household and nothing much had changed except that her father began to start drinking more than before. On the positive side, her and Ruji had become closer. Tezobi was now six years old and she was playing idly with her own fingers. She used her index finger and middle fingers to make it look like they were walking down a road. She used her fingers to replicate people because unlike any kid, she was never given any figurines or dollies. Her father complained that it was a frivolous item that would only be useful for a little bit. When she asked for one two years ago, she earned herself a very intimate conversation with the metal part of her father's belt.

She imagined her fingers were walking along a road. It was a road that lead to a little bridge called _'Happiness'_. Her fingers walked that road patiently and steadily, for they knew of all the fortune that awaited them at the bridge. She would get to see a hero in real life, and a little past the bridge of happiness was a house that her and Ruji would live in. At Happiness, nobody died, nobody got hurt and the sky was always blue. You could have anything you wanted, whether it be the most songs or the most friends or the most smiles. You could have it all.

As Tezobi thought of Happiness, she smiled jovially and that made her fingers jump for joy as she kicked her legs in the air. That was abruptly put to an end when she heard a knock on the door. Her heart skipped a beat.

"F-Father..?" she whimpered in dread.

"No, it's me." replied the voice softly. Tezobi smiled a sigh of relief and the door opened revealing Ruji trotting in quietly. The door shut soundlessly and Ruji put a finger up to her lips signaling to Tezobi to keep the noise down. Tezobi tilted her head in question.

"Father's wasted and out cold, I think."

"Oh, but what's the issue?"

Ruji fiddled her fingers nervously.

"I..I think we can escape now. Tezobi, we have a chance now..!" Ruji said excitedly. At this, Tezobi punched the air in triumph and glory. The mere word 'escape' was something she thought about night and day, awake and asleep, when she cried and when she didn't. She could find Happiness! But, even when Tezobi was as little as she was at age six, she thought it was too good to be true. Could small, flying souls really escape the grips of a demon? And so easily?

Tezobi looked at her finger's doubtfully and then looked at Ruji.

"Ruji… can we really? What if he gets us again? You- you might get hurt again!" Tezobi raised her voice but was distressed. Ruji then rubbed her neck anxiously and smiled.

"Tezobi, no matter how many times we get caught- no matter how many times you get caught like that, I will always protect you. No matter what!"

Tezobi looked into Ruji's big, pearly white eyes and could recognise the sincerity she was trying to get across. Tezobi terminated her procrastinating and nodded. Ruji put on a more serious expression and Tezobi immaturely did the same.

"The plan is simple. The keys are always under that old black shoe by the corner of the front door. All we need to do is get the key and unlock the door! He won't hear anything because he's wasted. Simple, I told you." Ruji explained. Tezobi's mouth hung open in confusion for a few seconds but then she nodded in understanding after she thought it through.

"Wow, it really is simple," said Tezobi. "Should we use your quirk to help us if he possibly tries to get us..?"

"No, no dummy.." she looked down to the ground embarrassed. "My quirk is useless right now… A-Anyway, let's go and get the key!"

"Yeah, let's!"

And so, both girls tip-toed weightlessly on the creaky wooden floor boards to approach the old black shoe. Though on the way, Ruji insisted on having Tezobi stay at least two metres away for her safety, should worse come to worst. As they got closer to the shoe, Tezobi got a chill down her spine and she stopped in her tracks, but Ruji didn't notice her stop.

"_Just now.."_ Tezobi thought in skepticism. She felt like something was following them or watching them in the shadows, which freaked her out. She got goosebumps on her skin and began to think she heard footsteps loudly pounding on the floor getting closer to Ruji. Normally, if such red flags were being waved so obviously, Tezobi would of course know danger was along the way and she'd scream and shout to warn Ruji. But, Ruji was still tip-toeing carefully and normally like nothing was happening so Tezobi thought her nerves were taking over and that it was all in her head.

In hindsight, that was in fact Tezobi's quirk manifesting. But she didn't know that at the time, and that would indeed be her downfall. Or should I say, Ruji's downfa-

"Tezobi!" Ruji whispered happily as she turned her head to face her sister two metres away. "Loo-"

There was an ear-splitting thump.

Tezobi's father appeared from nowhere and wrung his large hands around Ruji's slender neck. Tezobi was frozen in fear. Ruji squirmed in her father's arms like a fish would squirm in the grip of a heron's beak. Her father, with his hands still on her neck, pushed her back to the floor and hung over her with the face of an inebriated maniac. With his teeth grit and his eyes red with fury and insanity, his clap on her throat tightened, causing tears to flow from Ruji's eyes. Ruji helplessly scraped at her father's fingers with her black nails to try and loosen his grip but it was futile.

"You fucking bastard!" his thunderous voice boomed. "You've been acting funny for a while, I knew it! You were gonna leave me like that whore of a woman did, weren't ya?! You were gonna go like your mom did, weren't ya?! I'll fucking kill YOU!"

Ruji's eyes became hazy and unfocused as her vision began to blur. Her wailing stopped and she no longer clawed so feebly at the hands of her father. The rosiness of her cheeks left her and the white in her hair became more prominent. Despite the signs of Ruji clearly at death's door, the grip on Ruji's neck became no less violent as it had been when she had life running throughout her slender body.

Suddenly, Tezobi was overcome with an emotion she had never felt before. It was one that burned more than rage and it one more dangerous than the edge of a blade. It was an emotion that took over every hair on her head and the very sole of her foot. She created a deafening stomp that cracked several floor boards. Before Tezobi's father had anytime to react to the sound, Tezobi had broken his neck with her two little hands. It was like a prolonged amount of adrenaline had been given to her at that moment. Was that the strange tingling feeling she had felt when she snuck around with her sister? Tezobi cursed herself for not saying anything. Even if it had woken up their father, at least they would be doing it together like they always did. But now Ruji was dead, so who would she do it with and who would she find Happiness with? Her father was dead so who would she plot against?

She was all on her own and it hurt more than any beating or lashing or threat she received.

"It's just as you say, Father. I guess I am just a useless, weak-willed girl, but you can't say anything about it now because you're dead, aren't you." said Tezobi emotionlessly. She went over Ruji's body and looked at her longingly. She was beautiful, even in death. She kissed her forehead and a warm tear slid from Tezobi's cheek to Ruji's.

"I'm so sorry. We could never find Happiness together could we, Ruji? Don't worry, nothing good awaits me either."

After she said her goodbyes, Tezobi went over to the untouched old shoe to get the key and she silently unlocked the door like she had seen her father do many times. And just like that, the door opened. But when the miserable little girl opened the door, she saw a body of black mist and a boy with a head of light blue hair, who looked about the same age as her. He wore white gloves, but it wasn't cold.

Tezobi's large soulless eyes looked up to the two arrivals.

"Hello, Miss Tezobi. A certain someone has sent me to get you. Now, shall we?"

**Thanks for reading. Tragedy's backstory will be after this one for the next chapter, then the normal storyline will return. **

**Ruji's quirk is called 'Achilles' Heel' and it causes her opponent's quirk to become ten times weaker. It won't activate unless the quirk is in active use (using the quirk at that point in time). It's like the opposite of Tezobi's quirk 'Tenfold'. - Takahiro. **


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter forty - **_The Witch and the Boy_

_(Tragedy's backstory)_

A tale of a most unfortunate boy begins here. The time is unknown, but it surely isn't that of the modern ages.

Slap!

"_You filthy rat. Absolutely putrid! You're of no worth, Yokeina Haisha." _screamed a woman in his head. A bad memory.

"You aren't here anymore...you shouldn't be able to hurt me anymore. But you are in my head nonetheless." mumbled Tragedy.

He stood innocently on the stool and looked through the blurry window of the orphanage.

A younger Tragedy, who seemed no older than five or six, stood curiously on an old wooden stool of three legs as he gazed out of the window. His strong gaze was quickly dismissed by those outside, as he was being handsomely greeted with looks of disgust and apal from the rich ladies and gentlemen that walked and rode in carriages in boast. The sky was not crying, but the streets were swollen with liquid. The houses collided with each other closely and disease was near, but the alley cats and stray dogs had gotten used to it.. The trees fluttered their crinkled, auburn lashes and the clouds drifted away, passing the dirty humans by the second. Periwinkles hovered in tinge on the ladies' hats as their petticoats hovered just above the ground of filth buoyantly.

Tragedy stared at them.

"_What it's like to go outside, I do wonder what it's like. Not being a prison like this."_

His worn out brown newsboy cap and his ripped ruffled white shirt both complemented his unsightly grey knee-high shorts. His cheeks were sunken and his hair was matted with vermin. His gaze was dead and forlorn while his head stung at the diminishing recollection of a terrible memory. How long had it been since he'd lain eyes on that horrid woman? He couldn't remember any of that, no. He only remembered the things that stung his heart and head the most, the things that sang chimes of horror at night, the things that made him waver. Not the things that hurt his body the most. Not those, those were frivolous. But what was worse was that was stuck in an old orphanage with no refuge or liability. He never had fun or talked about useless things or went outside to breathe in the air of the streets or smiled like a child would. His life was a pattern of waking up to the harsh reality of living. He was never able to even dream, for he knew not what to dream about! He had never seen anything good and all he was surrounded by, were scenes of crime, murder, hate, ecstasy and mania.

When would the cycle stop? Who would end the curse bestowed upon him?

"_Whatever am I to do here.." _he thought solemnly as he looked longingly at the distance between him and the citizens outside. _"Am I..Am I not worthy enough? What have I to accomplish to be outside again?"_

His thoughts terminated aprubtly when he was harshly gropped by the waist. By whom? One of the horrid women that worked at the orphanages..Tragedy didn't bother to learn anyone's names but he recognised her face as he struggled in her tough grip. He tried to push her arms down to force himself off of her but she squeezed him even harder, which could have been fatal because of how thin Tragedy was.

"Damn it, damn it! You monster! Let me..go..!" he shouted, attracting the attention of the other younger, fish eyed children. They simply turned their heads in synch to face Tragedy.

Tragedy froze temporarily in a paralysed kind of fear due to the eyes on him. That window of fear was all that woman needed to throw him to the floor violently like a bag of nothing. Her eyes instantly flared in a fit of rage at the smaller boy.

"What have I told you about looking outside like that? Are you not aware of the evil lurking in those eyes of yours, Yokeina? Do you mean to scare off all the potential buyers? We can not get rid of all you filthy bugs when your piercing gaze is getting in the way." she whispered so the other children wouldn't hear. It was apparent to everyone there that the children were nothing more than values of money. A mere amount. Something to throw out in exchange for some money, because that's how it was.

Tragedy scowled at his name and he gripped his head as he got back on his feet. The hellish flame of amber that lived within his eyes rivalled that of the woman in front of him.

"Why must you call out my name? I'm not a demon you idiot!"

The woman gasped in shock, she was being talked back at and of all people, it was Tragedy that did it. It was always him and she always enjoyed beating the daylight out of him afterwards. Though, she made sure not to leave any bruises or scars or he'd be worth nothing when he was auctioned off. She would often use just the perfect amount of force on his fragile skin.

"Haisha." she boomed with a smug look. "Into Hades, now."

Tragedy froze instantly with a clear look of despair in his eyes. He quivered like a bare man on a winter's night as he began to panic. His eyes darkened in angst and he slowly stepped back into a corner with his arms defensively positioned over his torso.

"No..not Hades..Please don't! I won't be mean ever ever again! I promise I won't disobey you!" he cried from the end of the room as the woman inched closer to him, tormenting him before he would get a hot lashing.

"No. Don't..!"

"Shut up! I've heard quite enough of your stupid voice. Shall I rip your tongue out, Haisha? SHall I?!"

In response, Tragedy shook his head meekly. Disregarding his defenselessness and the timid air he bore at that moment, the woman dragged him by his white, thin arms into a dark room. The room was below freezing point and had no source of light, so neither of them could see. Tragedy landed on his back painfully and winced.

"Gotcha." the woman whispered. Her wooden words echoed throughout the area and Tragedy began to hyperventilate as he clutched onto nothing but the ominous air around him. The woman kicked him in his spine and knees so that he wouldn't run. Though, that would be redundant because her quirk was related to heat sensory. In such a cold room with such a small child running about? It was not a shot in the dark when it came to finding him. This was no wild goose chase.

She, who was mammoth in size, pinned a crying Tragedy to the floor and beat him with a sturdy stick. It was as thick as her thumb and as long as a toddler. She indiscriminately beat the front and the back of his body and his cries became louder but quieter, more hoarse but smooth with sadness. His tear stained face, his heart beating nineteen to the dozen, his eyes red with upset and his mind numb with fear and contempt. His skin stung with heat.

At that moment, the stick was chipping at his sanity. Very, very slowly. Tragedy became exhausted and couldn't squeeze out a cry from his lips, for his throat became raw. His eyes fluttered and were unfocused as he became short of breath. Tragedy was not a boy of religion, but he thought of what could possibly coexist within the skies.

"_My Lord, my Lord, why have you forsaken me? I beg that you pass my suffering onto another.." _he thought.

"Maybe that'll teach you not to call a lady a monster and not talk back. You're worthless, Haisha."

The woman walked out and shut the door behind her. It was then and only then that Tragedy's body caught up with the correct flow of time and with the strength left in his right arm, he lifted it up as if there was a spirit, an angel, a devil an entity...something that would grab his arm and take him away from his crumbling world.

"You're not going to save me, are you..whatever's up there." he sniffed in realistation. "That's.."

Tragedy then felt his face become wet with tears again. Was sorrow the food of a soulless body?

He laid on his back and stared at absolutely nothing, studying the beauty and mystery of the pitch blackness that engulfed his being. It was like he was floating in an abyss of space waiting to be turned to dust.

"_Yokeina Haisha.."_

"_You're worthless."_

"_Filthy!"_

"_Haha, a penny for your thoughts?"_

"_Help me, please..anyone!"_

"_Absolutely putrid!"_

A pitless dark chuckle escaped Tragedy's lips as he continued to cry. A laugh of jolly intent, nay. A chuckle of sadness and grief, perhaps. A chortle of desperation?

Yes, it was indeed of desperation. His laugh was a voice that emitted a cry too great and too desperate and too heavy and too chilling to be dismissed as mere _'sadness'_. Tragedy had already passed the checkpoint of every synonym and relative of that simple word. Sadness. His mind was numb but he was not yet lobotomised, he still had a living, feeling, breathing _something_ within him. But that would later get swallowed whole by his insanity.

After he cried, he laid still on his back for a few more minutes out of exhaustion and laziness. But something was nagging him to get back up and leave.

"But I don't wanna get back up..I'm so tired." he whispered in stubbornness to whatever part of his conscience was nagging him. Despite his conscience's best efforts at telling him to get up, his body retorted and fell into a dreamless sleep anyway.

He was still a kid after all.

A few days had passed and Tragedy had grown thicker skin. He had become tougher physically, being able to withstand his usual punishments and hate filled comments. Though the toughness of his body didn't at all equate to the mental stability of his mind. No - if anything, the more he could withstand the constant hostility exposed to him, the worse his head got. But he didn't necessarily mind because nobody really cared or asked how his day was. None of the other kids asked to play with him. Nobody hugged him or kissed him or whispered sweet nothings in his ears. The sweetest things he desired were fantasies that would never be awarded to him and that pained him greatly. It could have been those sweet lies that would have scaffolded his mind.

On a most crude day, it began to snow. All the children fawned over it by the window and the women working at the orphanage smiled softly at the children as they gazed at the soft flakes of white. Tragedy was forbidden to look though. Not only because of the inappropriate way he was behaving previously but because the women didn't like him and neither did the younger children. However, the children and the women didn't like him due to whimsical hearsays. One woman had heard a rumour about Tragedy and then she passed it onto the next woman and so on so forth. Once all the women had been informed on all of Tragedy's alleged wrongdoings, they thought it was a good idea to spread their venomous knowledge to the fresh, naive minds of the children. With the mind of a child being as fragile as china and absorbent like a sponge, they quickly understood that Tragedy was no good and evil. The origin of the person who slandered his name was unknown but even if he did know, what was he to do about it? The damage had been done and nobody would dare listen a 'crook of the cursed bastard'.

In reality, Tragedy didn't want to see the snow.

"_Why would you want to look at snow? It's inconsistent and weak and ugly. Don't those witches know what happens when a human steps in the snow? The snow becomes grey and impure." _he thought as he frowned at the crowd by the window. Then it hit him like a bullet and his eyes opened. If he couldn't be given the sweetness he yearned for in his current form, he had to be pure. Like a _white butterfly._ Tragedy thought quite crookedly.

"_Those kids over there are loved and kissed and hugged. Why not me? There must be something wrong with me and..I can change that. White butterflies are constantly pure and fly where they want silently. I see, it's my fault. Shall I purge the dirtied and the grim? Only then will I receive my hugs and kisses." _thought Tragedy with a gullible smile. He was still young and his mind had been ruined beyond repair. He thought that he was broken and needed to be fixed. Then he would be given his love.

"I need to leave this place and then I'll be as free as that blue bird!" he said to himself. Since nobody noticed him or was concerned for him, nobody saw what he would do. And so, when everyone had retired to their beds, Tragedy maneuvered himself agilly through the forests of beds and sleeping children then slipped through the door which was slightly open. He knew he was close because when the door was slightly open, there would be a slit of light beckoning him forward. Tragedy walked around the building soundlessly and occasionally turned his head around to check that the coast was clear for him to keep moving. He then reached a darker area where there was not much quiet. There was less light but a sea of whispers gathered there and that freaked Tragedy out a little, but he knew it was all necessary if he turly wanted to become pure and flooded with love.

"_Hey."_

Tragedy shuddered and looked around.

"_There's nobody here. Who said that?" _he thought

"_Haha, treading on a field of nails and glass. Tread carefully now.."_

Tragedy dismissed his worries and told himself that the voice he heard was him hallucinating. He finally approached a great purple door that read _'Office. Confidential purpose only'. _Tragedy looked at it, perplexed and in innocence. He could read but he often didn't understand what he read. He assumed it meant some convention place for the adults and opened the door quietly. With his hand on the metal handle, he twisted it slowly to limit sound escaping and he cautiously pushed the door open. Behind the door was nothing extraordinary. There was a desk, a window, a couch and a tea set with a deck of cards.

"Where's the damn key.." he whispered as his eyes darted around the room. He saw a shelf containing books, Tragedy became intrigued immediately. But why? He was supposed to be grabbing the keys and making a run for it. What was keeping him up? Tragedy inched closer to the shelf and scanned then with his pupils and saw one book looked oddly out of place. It was a green book with no title or blurb but its pages were full of words. There was something sticking out of it and it made the book look slightly open. A bookmark perhaps. He grabbed the book and opened it on the section that looked a little open and in between those two paged was a small silver key with the symbols _'8/4f0' _carved into the top of the key. He raised his brow and put the key in his pocket. As he was about to march out of the room in haste, something else caught his eye. Oh, whatever could it be now?

His curious eyes wandered to the corner of a paper that had his name on it. He dashed to the paper and seized it from the other heavy objects that weighed on top of it.

"_Name: Yokeina Haisha._

_DoB: XX/XX/XXXX_

_Mother: Miss **** ****_

_Father: Mr *** ****"_

He read past all of the boring information and got to a section that read 'The reason for putting up Yokeina for adoption:'

It said:

_Well, Haisha is just so incompetent. Pardon my language and justification, but it must be said. I regret absolutely nothing as I proclaim his uselessness. He can't do anything and he's dead weight. Not to mention, his father and I have put so much effort into trying to make him normal and jolly but Haisha is just so stubborn - he stays loyal to that sulky face of his and he hardly ever laughs like an ordinary child should. He is so fixated and intent on being ungrateful. He shows no signs of child like behaviour and he is not God-fearing. But the worst part is that his quirk is the embodiment of evil. His quirk is taking away the oxygen of anyone and anything he looks at! It's atrocious and sickening. I don't know if I'm allowed to write this here but he once killed one of my nephews without even knowing. It was a sunny afternoon and I heard he got into a quarrel then his cousin. My now late nephew probably teased Haisha a little and then he collapsed and didn't wake up. I don't want to be the parent of a murderous child or have him under my roof. I just had to get rid of him._

The page then had a grey splodge in the middle of it. And then another, then another. Tragedy gripped at the sides of the page tightly and his hands shook as if there was an earthquake. But there was; there an earthquake in his heart and it was extremely destructive. Tragedy's eyes leaked onto the page like a broken faucet as he began to understand what the world had been saying to him all of his life. He was redundant, a waste of space and he was an evil unwanted little boy.

"_So that's what mom and dad thought of me. And what happened to my cousin..that was me?"_ Tragedy thought sadly. The paper was creasing and ripping, his heart was pumping and hurting, his mind was breaking and spinning. All that he had learnt from that paper was clear to him now, but what hurt the most..what stung the most was the realization that he would never be granted the sweet hugs and kisses that he oh so longed and yearned for. Tragedy understood that now and when he finally got it, it wasn't so painful. It was as clear as day that he could no longer be pure. He'd no longer be able to salvage the white butterfly who sought to catch.

The butterfly was about to be stained red.

After what seemed like hours staring the nameless green book, Tragedy stopped crying and shivering. He had found himself cackling instead. He laughed and laughed and chuckled and cackled and chortled and roared himself silly. He did this as he clutched at his stomach because it hurt so much laughing. He fell to his knees and choked on his chuckles as if he was sick. Finally, Tragedy stopped laughing but a smug, mischievous smirk was left scarred onto his face and his once tear-filled eyes turned into glowing spheres of ingot. He got up from his crouching position when he heard a female voice getting louder.

"That's my cue." he said grinning as he jumped out of the window.

When a woman finally got to the office, she looked around and saw that some objects had been misplaced and messed with. She frowned but then she looked at the desk and saw the nameless green book. She stared at the bottomless last sentence that seemed to gape at her.

"_Bend the will of heaven, move hell."_

Tragedy landed on his feet from the window smoothly with no broken bones but a small scratch on his hand. He landed in a dark, gloomy alleyway that had rats crawling about. No people were seen anywhere, which was convenient. Tragedy hummed casually, readjusted his newsboy cap and walked forward until he heard footsteps behind him.

"Whatcha doin' so late out, boy?" growled the voice of a man. Tragedy quickly turned around and saw that the man had a knife with him and a grotesque posture. "Yer' gonna get yer' throat cut in these here streets. I'll get good dosh off of ya'. Cheers!"

The man dashed towards Tragedy with his sharp knife thirsting for his throat, but Tragedy stepped back at the right time and looked at the man's meddled face. He then smiled sweetly with his hands behind his back, looking like any other innocent child would at that time with a tilted head.

"Thank you, kind sir!"

"Wh-"

Tragedy took the man's breath away with a single glance and he dropped like a fly. Tragedy giggled childishly and stepped towards the corpse and rummaged through his pockets for some money. He found a bag of coins and he took the knife with him as well. After Tragedy got what he was looking for, he patted the man on the head.

"Thank you, sir. Matches don't come too cheaply nowadays."

And with that, Tragedy left the alleyway and delved into the streets. Even though he was on a most villainous escapade, he was still a small child who had always dreamed of wanting to see and feel what it was like to be outside again. To breathe in the air, to lock eyes with the people and to view the nature. It was splendid. Tragedy smiled in all its wonder and liveliness. It really made him realise how much of a big life he had been missing and how bland it felt to be in that orphanage with no hugs or kisses. But he wasn't getting any of those anytime soon and he was unwanted and undesired, so it didn't matter anymore. Tragedy shook away his smiles and thoughts and trekked forth to the nearest shop he could find. The shop's logo was in a swirly fancy font that Tragedy couldn't read but he went inside anyway. In the shop, nothing but alcohol and cigarettes occupied the shelves so when the shopkeeper was just lazing away in his chair and saw a petite child walk into his shop he was shocked. He rubbed his eyes and blinked in astonishment. Tragedy, however, was unfazed at what he saw as the women that 'looked after him' at the orphanage would never shy such sinful things away from Tragedy. They didn't care what he saw.

"I need a pack of matches."

The shopkeeper laughed for a minute but Tragedy wasn't laughing at all and just glared at the man, contemplating whether or not to kill him. When the man saw that Tragedy was serious, he stopped laughing and just looked at Tragedy in confusion and then annoyance.

"I don't have time for your little jokes, kid. Get out of my fucking shop." he growled, laying one arm on the countertop. Tragedy said nothing but he put all the money on the counter, without even counting it. The shopkeeper's expression immediately changed and he looked around in his empty shop then snatched the money from the counter and laughed. He looked back at Tragedy and threw him a pack of matches. Tragedy nodded to the shopkeeper as a _'thanks'_ and walked out of the shop.

Within a number of minutes of skipping and more humming, Tragedy finally reached the gates of the orphanage. The gates were steel and had a padlock attached to it at night so Tragedy needed a key to get in, which he had. He stuffed his hand into his pocket and got the key out and unlocked the padlock. He ran through the snow and got to the double doors, which were also locked. He used the key to unlock them and he opened the doors and stormed through the corridors, not caring about the sound he was making. He thumped and stomped his feet on the ground as he walked into the front room. Tragedy ran through the hallways and stairs until he saw the faint glow of a lamp in the hands of a woman. Funnily enough, it was the woman who tortured him beforehand.

"Ah, if it isn't the woman of the bloody hour!" he shouted from where he stood. The woman stopped from where she was walking and stared at the child in front of her.

"_Haisha?" _she thought in disbelief. She instantly walked over to him and shouted.

"I beg your pardon, you brat? And what in the world are you doing out of bed, you will get a hot whipping for thi-"

"Do you prefer Lady of the Lamp? Anyway, you will befall the same fate as everyone else here, though you might feel it at different times."

"What? Have you lost your mind?"

"Perhaps."

The woman, not wasting a second, ran up to Tragedy with the lamp and attempted to grab his wrist, but before she could she felt a strange pain in her abdomen and then all she saw was red. After Tragedy had stabbed her, she collapsed onto the ground and breathed heavily. She dropped the lamp and the carpet caught on fire. Tragedy frowned.

"You devil! You brat! You ball of hate and dread, ugh! What have you done?!"

"Drats, you set the place on fire first? That isn't fair, I paid for these matches and you just messed it up like that? This calls for punishment, don't you think?"

Tragedy stabbed her in the chest, causing her to spit blood and her eyes to dilate. Within seconds her hands trembled and she uttered her last words. Tragedy crouched down to her level to hear what she had to say.

"N-Nu..gato..ry.."

After two seconds, her body turned cold and her skin, pale. Tragedy stayed in his crouching position for a little while longer to think of the horrid woman in front of him and all she'd done to him. Someone so evil and merciless was finally gone and Tragedy felt nothing. Was he supposed to feel a sense of relief or sadness or happiness? He just spoke again to her before lighting two matches and throwing them in two different directions, setting them alight.

"You witch."

Tragedy walked through the fire as he whistled a random tune in the midst of the flickering flames. The amber flames were hungry tigers, licking and biting at everything it touched but it didn't seem to affect Tragedy, for he kept on marching like a faithful soldier in a sea of dead enemies. Tragedy finally reached the room where the women were sleeping and threw three lit matches in their room before shutting the door calmly. He locked the door with the key he took and was on his way.

Tragedy stared at the key that had _'8/4f0' _carved into it and turned it to face vertically and understood what the key kind of meant.

"So, the eight was an infinity symbol? That explains why it unlocks all the doors in this place." he said to himself unfazed at what was going on around him. Tragedy assumed that the eight on the key was as infinity symbol for the rooms, which wasn't entirely wrong but it also meant something else. Something much more sinister that was meant to be read with the rest of the symbols. But Tragedy didn't know that.

As he walked to where the children slept, he heard muffled screams of horror and panic from the womens' room and that brought a smile to his face. When he reached the children's room, they were all asleep, but Tragedy thought it wouldn't be as fun to slaughter them all if they didn't feel the wrath-fueled pain.

So, he woke them up by screaming a most blood-curdling scream and he clawed his fingers which made him laugh, creeping the children out even more. They all woke up and cried for the women to save them. Some hugged their friends for help and some hid under their covers.

"So vulnerable and weak...like snow." he mumbled. Tragedy maximised the theatrics and smiled like a cheshire cat with his arms in the air.

"I bring great tidings to the world of the living! Gifts of Hades, a hungry tiger that licks and bites at what it can! What doth thou say?"

A blonde little girl was crying and she wept, "You're being scary, Haisha. Stop it.."

"Scary? Your name, it's Yuu Dorothy, right? Well, Docchan, do you want me to make all your friends stop crying? Do you want them to be warm and together forever? Be careful what you wish for, it's permanen-"

She vigorously shook her head and wiped her tears away as she looked at Tragedy in reverence with her hypnotising aqua eyes.

"No! I don't care, please grant me that wish. Make it happen."

"_Heh, foolish girl."_ he thought. Tragedy gave a toothy grin and bowed elaborately.

"Okay, your wish is my command.."

Like a wizard, Tragedy lit eight matches and put four matches in between each of his hands evenly. Within the spaces of his fingers lay a match each, leaving four on each hand. Tragedy spun around letting his hands free, causing the matches to fly around the room like birds. He did this repeatedly, so the entire room burst into flames. Every inch, nook and cranny was engulfed in hot flames and there was a chorus of children screaming around. Everywhere Tragedy looked he saw the children screaming and running around petrified. The little kids were dropping dead like flies, with their arms outstretched. Tragedy covered his mouth to stop him giggling and made sure not to hurt Dorothy. He'd save her for later.

With the room filling with thick black smoke and the stench of roasted children intertwining, Dorothy was on the floor crying and coughing. She then felt a cold hand on her shoulder. She turned her head around slowly with the most terrified look on her face, looking like she might have a heart attack at any given moment.

"Docchan! Are you happy?" said Tragedy with bulging, beady eyes and a crazed beaming grin. Dorothy screamed.

"W-What have you d-done..?! My friends.. They aren't here anymore and it's your fault, Haisha!"

"Oh, but Docchan you asked for this. I gave you wanted and now you're upset." Tragedy said resting his palm on his cheek. "You want to be with your friends now, don't you? Let me help you.."

Before Dorothy could run away to the flames, Tragedy grabbed her by the throat. While they were of course both children, Tragedy was a boy, older and on a high. He squeezed at the little girl's throat like a cobra, causing her face to turn white and her eyes to dull. Poor Dororthy's fate was sealed.

"I gave you what you wanted and now you're upset, Docchan! What's up with that?! You're afraid aren't you? You are in pain and want your friends, don't you? You want hugs and kisses and love and everything I never had, don't you?! You want a warm embrace and to be with the women and your friends? Consider it done, Docchan." Tragedy then suffocated her. "Be careful what you wish for, Docchan."

He threw Dorothy to the floor like a ragdoll and dusted himself off. He lit the rest of the matches and threw them elsewhere in the building, causing the orphanage to rival the sun. Tragedy scratched his neck and smirked at the key. The key that was once inside that nameless green book. With one hand in his pocket and one key holding the key up, Tragedy stood in the middle of the dancing flames with a satisfied smile.

"My, my. I've caused_ quite_ the tragedy, haven't I."

A wise man once told me to birth a world of jest, a merry jest that would dawn on the world like a shadow through the reborn world of fire.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter forty-one - **_Raison d'etre_

Engrossed in the worlds of dreams, Izuku twisted and turned like a screw in his sweat-infested bed. Whatever was happening was anyone's guess.

_(Izuku's Dream)_

"_This shit again."_ he thought with a sigh as he recognised he was once again in a dream. It was quite funny, actually. Izuku was getting a little too comfortable in the new environment he was put in and it was turning his brain and heart to mush. He might've even forgotten his purpose for being there. What was it again? Something to do with murder perhaps. Becoming a hero? Don't think so. Jail time...not really sure. He hadn't been dreaming as frequently as he used to for some unknown reason but it was apparent to him that whenever he did dream once in a blue moon, the dream often lead to his well-being rotting away from the core inside out. The amount of times he fell into these subconscious hallucinations were indeed decreasing but the way they truly affected him? It was eating at him.

"Well, there's no time like the present." Izuku said scratching his scalp.

Cautiously, he got up and saw that he was wearing a long grey cloak that just about touched his toes and had feathered grey wings on his back that reached down to his tailbone. Izuku furrowed his brows in astonishment as he started fondling them. He saw that they weren't fake as his nerves tingled at his touch. Izuku accepted the peculiar phenomenon that he had somehow grown wings on his back but what puzzled him the most was why he wasn't in his usual villain attire. What in the world was so special about this dream that his clothes were different? He stared at the murky blank space that he stood within. He turned his head to survey the area and saw that there were no doors, no ceiling and no floor. The entire expanse was unfurnished and that was even stranger. There was absolutely nothing around him to keep him on his toes, but he didn't seem to float! Despite the numerous red flags being waved in Izuku's face, he took control of his actions and advanced a step forward.

But the second he did, the atmosphere transformed right before his eyes before he could react.

He was transported to a place of much more character and meaning. As Izuku looked at the once blank space, it seemed to be...in progress? The setting was being 'drawn' in front of his eyes. The sketches, the color, the tones and the hues; the lot. But the hand of the one who bore the pencil was nowhere to be seen.

"What.." escaped his lips as his eyes darted around the canvas of life that was being drawn right in front of him. No more than seven seconds had passed and the art had been completed. Izuku slowly turned not only his head, but his entire body to really soak in all that had been created before him. There was a delicate, warm breeze that filled the air and played with his hair and lashes. In this new world, Izuku's eyes were brightened. The world had opened his usual drooped down, unimpressed emerald eyes and turned them into eyes full of curiosity and wonder. Not quite happiness and bliss, but a peck of interest did kiss him on the cheek. Izuku saw he had been sent to a fluorescent, celestial kingdom. In this kingdom, were tall white and gold buildings that shimmered in the blindly light of the sun. The sun did not dry out and kill the plants that bathed in all the benefits of life but instead smiled and helped them bloom. There were no cars or vans or any mode of transport. Izuku thought that since there was no source of pollution and an abundance of therapeutic plants, he was a little happier but he wasn't so convinced.

In addition to the lack of machinery, vehicles were nowhere to be seen and Izuku quickly came to the conclusion that there weren't real people about. Instead of the obnoxious, scared and destructive humans that often contaminated his mind, he saw angels. Yes, angels. The pure and holy servants of the grandest deity that inhabited the empyrean; the domain of Azure. The sky was such a clear blue that Izuku ought to have been looking through clean glass. The gleaming sky was overwhelmed in different shapes of clouds and mythical animals which Izuku had never seen in his life were dancing in the air. Everything was bright and happy.

He was in heaven.

"_Heaven, huh. I wonder when this agonising joke will be over." _thought Izuku rolling his eyes dully. _"I've no use here, nor will this goodness last very long."_

Soft, sweet music travelled into Izuku's ears but when he rotated to look for the source of the music he sought, the musician was nowhere to be seen. But what Izuku saw answered his question. On the edge of a cloud lay a transparent harp. The strings of the harp were being tenderly strummed and plucked as if it were a baby. When he turned back, he saw that everyone was living in harmony and peace with only smiling faces and helping hands going around. Izuku also noticed that the angels all obtained a generic appearance: large, powerful white wings that framed their bodies nicely, white robes soaked in nobility and glowing halos. They all looked the same but they looked different, as if they had their own identity or will. Izuku was well aware that this was his first time having a dream like this but something was off. Very, very off.

"But why do they seem so familiar-"

Izuku was cut off when he heard a tumultuous crack of thunder break from the skies. Izuku flinched and looked up to see the once blue skies bleed slowly from sapphire to an ugly, horrific black. An invisible eraser seemed to wipe out all the merriness that the former artist had birthed. It was almost as if the angel's fates were being changed out of nowhere. The skies were a black hole that seemed to swallow the glorious realm the angels rightfully occupied. The angels, clutching their golden tridents in worry and distress, desperately looked up and around at how everything around them was being stained an inky black and all the gorgeous plants were withering away by the second. Izuku stared at a small dandelion in shock and wonder as he observed how it slowly shrivelled up into a feeble, skinny stick-like plant. The brown plant then, much to Izuku's astonishment, glitched as the plant turned into a large, cheshire grin then switched back to a shade as black as ashes. And just like the ashes they resembled, the flower crumbled. The life had been mercilessly sucked from it.

"That was unnatural." he said to himself as he touched the black dust that was once a healthy, yellow flower that radiated life and beauty. What he had just seen had gone against the concept of time and mother nature. It was like witchcraft or black magic. Izuku began to wonder what kind of supernatural presence was so powerful...so evil and demanding to exterminate all goodness and esse in heaven- no, it was greater than that. To absolutely cause heaven to deteriorate to a darkness and quietus, to cause heaven to completely enthrall itself to the impious of evil. To cause all angels to submit against the hands of the one true creator.

Izuku, from a distance, then saw the embodiment of tenebrosity descend from the clouds of soot and wickedness. The atmosphere and the mood became unsafe and cold. Everything had changed. As _He_ came down, the angels were completely vulnerable and unprepared as they fled in all directions. Many tried to use their wings to fly away from the hell that had been bestowed upon them but... it was redundant. They were so afraid that their wings refused to obey their wishes. Even the wings of the angels were horror-stricken! - where was the trusty invisible eraser? Many turned to the help of their angelic powers and shot blinding beams of light, beams in the form of bows and arrows and beams in all shapes and sizes. The angels that had the courage to fight against the animosity displayed in front of them fought with all their might and strength. Would their hard work pay off? Would _He_ laugh in the face of hope and positivity?

"_These unique powers, the identities...it means something. It must, it has to." _Izuku thought as he tried to decode the cryptic message that had been given to him to solve. Why must he be the one to deal with the daunting crimes and evil that selfish humans manifested? Better yet, these weren't even humans. Hell, he wasn't even on Earth.

_He, _the dark entity that had invaded the heavens, grinned confidently as he finally opened his eyes and revealed a blazing, amber glare. One could say that the entity was _callous in his actions_ for he knew not when to stop or when to beg for forgiveness for his terrible actions. The very moment his eyes were shown, all the angels, all the holy tall buildings, sacred scriptures and all the good left in heaven burst into a colossal swarm of blood red butterflies. Izuku was in awe at what he was seeing flash before his own eyes. A heaven that became hell, doves that roamed the skies became soul-sucking crows and life to darkness. Izuku foolishly reached out to touch the butterflies, thinking they wouldn't be harmful, but when he did, they all came flying towards him as if they were being controlled by _He _who stood at the centre of all the death surrounding him. One by one, hundred by hundred and eventually millions and millions of butterflies flew around Izuku like he was the centre of a whirlpool and he soon could not see in front of him. All he could see was red. Izuku tried to fight off the butterflies by waving off the annoying beasts. However, that only thrilled them more and they immediately multiplied in numbers, fluttering their wings in delight. As the population of the butterflies increased fruitfully, the smaller ones began to look for more places to harbour, since they had already taken over heaven and hell, so they took refuge in Izuku's body.

Izuku's began to shake vigorously and he struggled to breathe. It had been an extremely long time since he'd felt pain and affliction, so when he suddenly felt his insides being eaten away and ripped apart, it was a feeling he could not explain in words. He scratched harshly at his throat and his chest and his face, turning them as red as the butterflies that immersed his body like monks would flock to a temple.

Tearing up, Izuku thought, _"This...is..ex-x..cruciating.."_

As his body began to shut down as quickly as raindrops kissed the ground, he heard footsteps approach him in a sick kind of rhythm. These footsteps did not move in the manner that they should. The footsteps were not plain, simple or normal, these footsteps were those of a dancer for it was a bittersweet rhythm that echoed in his ears and enticed his damaged mind. As his eyes shut and his grey wings left him, he heard a quiet voice, a youthful voice. Like the voice a little boy was whispering to him.

"_We were sold a dream."_

Izuku's eyes clicked open and his body shot up like a bullet. With his arm outstretched, the first thing he saw after that rollercoaster dream was the plain door. Seeing something so ordinary after being traumatising was slightly comforting. Izuku heaved in all the oxygen he could and touched his wet, sticky body frantically from his face to his chest to his eyes to his lips. He then saw he was somehow in his yukata, tabi and geta already. He didn't change in his sleep or when he was awake, it was probably another sign. Izuku sighed and was grateful that he didn't have butterflies tearing up his stomach or any other organ for that matter.

"I'm fucking tired of this." he mumbled as he envoloped his face into his hands as if in sadness. But he was not sad or upset. He was just so tired. Of absolutely everything. In reality, living was a chore for him and it was a chore that never ended, even when he attempted to end it himself. There was no time for getting all depressed! That was because there was deep trouble trailing behind him ready to pounce at any given time. Izuku ran his hands through his hair and thought to himself. Why was he in heaven? Was this a joke that the Gods had pulled off, to show him what he was missing out on? Or maybe it was to show him where his parents would be and that he wouldn't be able to join them. Why had a devil-like creature come to destroy everything around him? Why was Izuku grey in there? The dreams he had were like nothing he had ever seen before, they were like nothing he could ever predict and it was honestly magical. In a sense, Izuku was in an old fairy tale or perhaps the third person in a fable. But unfortunately, he loathed tales and fables and stories and everything that used to give him hope. It was a child's dream all over again where he had to save the angels and defeat the dark entity, but he couldn't save them and he didn't want to. He would have been much happier dying in his sleep and turning to dust like the dandelion had done.

Izuku balled his hand into a hard fist and punched the wall next to his bed loudly. He didn't care what the time was and for an unexplainable reason he felt so corrupt.

"Damn it." he said silently with his emotionless eyes.

He was honestly crying on the inside, slowly cracking.

"_Why won't you let me have my way..? Why.." _sang his thoughts.

Izuku stomped on the solid floor with the sole of his foot, causing a surge of power to eradicate the floorboards.

"Damn it."

"_It's divine punishment isn't it? I deserve every bit of it."_ sand his thoughts. It was all becoming clear.

He kicked everything in the room and smashed through all the glass and plastic and all material that hung from the ceiling.

"Damn it."

"_Man, this sucks. I should have drowned myself, but there's just nothing for me to do, is there? I certainly refuse to be a hero."_ sang his thoughts. His mind was a broken record.

Izuku continued to destroy all the things in his sight, using his pure frustration and fury as fuel. He broke down the walls and erected more floor boards, he used his knees to destroy the metal pegs that were on the door. Once Izuku had nothing more to break he stood in the middle of the broken pieces and accidentally cut his foot, making it bleed, but Izuku didn't notice that because he couldn't feel it. His mind and heart were utterly befallen with the plague of emptiness and hate. He could not contain the burning rage he felt within himself because he had been 'softened' by the damned heroes and their damned students. He was furious and resentful. He was annoyed. He didn't understand what the dream meant and what he had to do. Did he have to go to heaven and stop whatever was there? He couldn't and had no such desire to be blinded by the prestige of the fictional entity of _God_. The _God_ who never worked in Izuku's favour. He was sick and tired of being molded into what he was not and being hindered all the time. He wanted to leave U.A.

Izuku looked into the mirror and when he did, he scowled in disgust and grabbed his bo staff and smashed it into a million pieces.

"Damn it all." he screamed. He screamed so loudly and so angrily, he was so, so _broken_. "Just FUCK OFF!" He kept smashing the broken glass that had been sprinkled on the floor with his staff.

With rage being an unfaithful lover that stained you and left you as quick as it came, Izuku calmed down and was left feeling like a hollow cocoon. There was nothing to give and nothing to take and his eyes said it all. It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but what if those windows were shattered? In Izuku's fit of rage, he hadn't noticed that Iida had already opened the door and was paralysed in shock and absolute fear. With Izuku seeing the look on his face, he smirked and wondered how much he'd seen. Iida looked so pale and terrified, like a sheep in the presence of a wolf. His lips trembled and his pupils contracted drastically like a camera panning away from Jupiter. As his knees buckled and his goosebumps became prominent, Iida started to believe that Izuku truly was a villain.

"You.." Iida trembled greatly as he could barely speak. It was as if he would die on the spot. "I..?"

Izuku walked out of the door with soulless eyes and looked to the floor with his bo staff in hand and his featureless mask strapped to his hips.

"Have you ever wondered what happens when a beast is never let out of a cage, then it suddenly hits breaking point and no longer endures what it hates with all its heart? Maybe the beast is hungry for disaster and peace at the same time just because that's what it has been put through. Maybe."

Iida gasped and covered his mouth with his hand as his core shook. He was speechless and mindless, he could not believe what he saw and heard. Iida thought about the first time he saw Izuku in Hosu and how he saw him now. In both memories, he was a villain, but in one he was a monster. An arrant monster.

"_A beast..at breaking point? Is that how he felt? What would he have done to me just now..? The way he looked and acted, that was nothing like Mr. Midoriya.." _Iida thought petrified. He really and truly wanted to see the best in people but the reality of Izuku's status between hero and villain was quite obvious to him now. Iida then lost control of his emotions and began to cry as he reminisced over the past he had with Izuku. The time he saved him, the things he had taught him and his forgivable ups and downs; they were good times and in all of them, Iida was smiling. Iida cried so aggressively that he cried with the same amount of force as someone who had been vomiting all their life. It most definitely caused great pain.

"W-Was..ugh, w-wa..s it all..just, ugh, just a l-lie?" he removed his glasses and cried even harder. He kept punching himself in the leg to ease the pain and for him to stop acting cowardly but that didn't help one bit. He thought of Izuku as a friend so when he saw a friend in such a damaged state, he felt like he as to be held responsible.

"I wonder what happened to Iida, he just disappeared," said a female, cheery voice. She skipped through the hallways and the classrooms to try and find Iida because class with Izuku would be starting soon but he was nowhere to be found.

"Now I'm getting wor-"

She stopped in her tracks when she heard faint crying in the distance. She rubbed her forehead and was contradicting her thoughts.

"_The voice, it's male and it..surely it can't be Iida?!"_ she thought in worry. She ran at the speed of light in the direction of the crying and as it got louder and closer, her suspicions were beginning to confirm. She was getting really scared.

"_Iida.." _she thought as she ran so miserably. _"No, please be okay..no, no, no, no…"_

As she approached the voice, she saw she was inching closer to Izuku's room. The girl was getting much more scared now that she started thinking of what could be happening. Did Izuku hurt him? Well, not physically to be honest…

"_I don't care if it's a teacher's room. Iida is in there.." _

Iida doesn't cry, does he?

The girl flung open the doors and saw right in front of her, an emotionally unstable, crying Iida. An Iida that was trying his utmost best to stop his eternal flow of tears. She was in shock. Her heart turned to stone and her head suddenly felt so heavy. Her world crumbled.

"_Wait, what? Wait, the room has been destroyed, everything..and…., I-Iida..!" _ she thought in panic.

"U-U-raraka..?" Iida whimpered, looking up as he tried to control his breathing. Uraraka fell to her knees and a tear escaped the corner of her eyes as she collapsed to the ground to hug Iida before she could even utter a word.

"Iida, Iida, Iida..!" she repeated as she hugged him ever so tightly. With his hands suspended in the air due to the unexpected embrace, he hugged her back and a fresh, new reservoir of tears streamed down his face again.

"Uraraka..! I-I.."

She hushed him and hugged him warmly to soften his pain. Both his physical pain and emotional pain. She was so worried for him because she had never seen him look so weak and human! He was always the model student of his class and of his year, he was always a straight arrow that was so generous. It was always Iida who never cried or wavered in the face of evil, sadness or danger. But now something- _someone_ had pushed him this far.

"_He's shaking in my arms.." _she thought. She then remembered that he was Izuku's room and her sadness transformed into pure anger and hostility towards the teacher. _"What did he do to you, Iida?"_

The only reason she trusted Izuku in the first place was because of Iida's influence. Without that influence, his trust for Izuku was a bridge without a sturdy foundation and hence, the bridge would subside into the gloomy river.

Uraraka and Iida broke their hug and there was an awkward silence as they both kneeled on the destroyed floor. Iida was ashamed and couldn't make eye-contact with his close companion.

"_She saw me at my weakest..how humiliating…" _thought Iida as he adjusted his glasses with his index and middle finger. Uraraka with fire in her eyes spoke first.

"What did he do to hurt you?"

Iida suddenly looked up and waved his hands about.

"Oh, no, no, he didn't touch me at all. In fact," he gave a short half-smile in self-pity. "I daresay I was responsible myself."

"What are you even saying, Iida? I know you never lie but this?" she pointed at all the destruction around her and back at Iida's tear-stained face. "It's impossible for you to cause all of this. Just explain what happened."

He sighed and spoke in a calm manner.

"I was walking down the hallway to class to get there an hour early,"

"_As you do."_ thought Uraraka with a smile.

"Then I heard this abominable bang. It was like a sound generated by the fountain of pure chaos and catastrophe. Misfortune in its final form, perhaps." Iida's eyes got larger as he remembered. "It was of course something I'd only ever hear a villain make, so my first thought was that a villain was attacking the premises. Since everyone was still preparing to get ready for class or sleeping, I didn't want to disturb them, so I went to find the mysterious sound for myself. I ran to where the sound was coming from and it..it was from Mr. Midoriya's room. Now, it never crossed my mind that it could have been him making the loud noises himself because I trusted him quite dearly. I now see that it was foolish of me. I assumed that the League of Villains had come to kidnap him and caused a racket whilst doing so. I was going to leave because I knew that whatever the League had to throw at Mr. Midoriya, he would be able to handle it. But the more I listened and walked away, the louder the sound became. The more dangerous the sound became. So when I went to open the doors, I was in truly, for the first time in my life, scared. I genuinely felt unsafe and like I was about to be killed. I kind of saw my life flash before my eyes. The way he looked - it was so unhuman and beastly. I had never seen anyone look so angry and destroyed at the same time in my life. Mr. Midoriya destroyed everything with his bare hands and legs but when he looked in the mirror, he looked so _disgusted. _He grabbed his bo staff and smashed the mirror into many little fragments and even then, he smashed it again! But what hurt me the most.."

Iida clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"It's okay, what..what hurt you the most?" said Uraraka with a shaky voice as she took in all she was told maturely. She was holding back her own tears because that was what a hero did; they refused to show any weakness in front of those they needed to comfort or save. She was Iida's friend.

"It was as he was walking towards the door that he had this forlorn, passionless expression on his face and he told me he felt like a caged beast with a desire to let loose on a rampage. Something like that, anyway."

Uraraka sighed and rubbed her temples in distress but gratitude that Iida trusted her so much that he'd not only cry but tell her what happened. She was incredibly hostile towards Izuku now and saw him as a real villain, not a teacher or a hero.

Iida saw that Uraraka looked stressed and felt guilty.

"Ah! Uraraka, I'm sorry for loading all that onto you! I don't want to be a burden. It won't happen again, I apologize." he said bowing. Uraraka waved in his face beckoning him to raise his head.

"Oh, Iida we are friends, goddammit! You tried your best Iida, you were brave. I want you to tell me your problems and I will help in anyway I can!" she tilted her head to the side with a sincere look on her face.

"It's what heroes are for, right?"

"_Uraraka.." _Iida blinked with wide eyes before answering earnestly.

"Yes!"

As Izuku walked down the deserted hallways he once dreamed of as a kid, he hummed emotionlessly with the bo staff he was dragging along on the floor. He just needed to exit the building and most of his problems would decrease by at least 50%. His black hair seemed as black as the ashes in hell and as dead as the dandelions. He was just itching to leave the school and itching to destroy something. If he didn't destroy something quick, he'd be on a rampage and he didn't want that; they were troublesome and annoying. But that wasn't what he was thinking about at that time, he was thinking of rotting on the streets to finally be alone in the cold and try and understand what the devil that dream was about. To die in a rough way was something that would enable him to see if the joke the Gods played on him was legit or just a foul gag.

"Probably a damn gag." he said to himself. He heard footsteps approaching his direction. Izuku calculated the weight and height in his head and recognised it was Naomasa coming towards him. The hallways didn't diverge into another lane or corridor so it was a one-way street to irritance for Izuku. He was in such a sour mood that felt he really could kill Naomasa.

"Oh, Mido..oh.."

Izuku looked up, revealing his lifeless eyes and dented staff. Naomasa gulped.

"_I have such a terrible feeling about this." _he thought. Nevertheless, he stepped forward to speak.

"Principal Nezu wishes to speak with you in his office. Myself, All Might and Aizawa and of course Nezu will be present as it has to do with something confidential and important." he said sternly. All Izuku did was raise his brow and grip his staff as he replied.

"Is that so. Then, lead the way."

Naomasa hesitantly turned around and lead the way to the office with Izuku walking behind him. Naomasa had no source of reflection to rely on to see what Izuku was doing behind him. All he could see was the ground and the ceilings and different doors but all he could hear was the slow intimidating click-clack of Izuku's geta. Naomasa felt threatened and exposed in Izuku's presence but it was the first time he was feeling this. Not to mention he was in a hero school, what's the worst that could happen?

"_Sweat's dripping down his nape. Poor guy." _ thought Izuku with a scoff. Hearing this scoff, Naomasa felt the need to accelerate his walking until he finally got to the office door. He had never felt so relieved in his life, but he was ashamed to feel relief from getting away from Izuku. He wasn't scared, was he? But of what! In the past, Naomasa wasn't scared of Izuku but was worried for him instead and wanted to care for him in some sense. But now, he just didn't know what to do.

"_Something is so wrong with him right now, but I don't know what."_ Naomasa thought. When he opened the door, at the conference table sat All Might, Aizawa and Nezu. All Might was fidgety, Nezu was smiling calmly and Aizawa was unfazed. It was as all things should be but Naomasa still felt the atmosphere was tense.

"My, Naomasa. You look as though you've seen a ghost, and I can smell your sweat. What ever happened?" commented Nezu in concern. Aizawa just stared briefly at him before turning away again. His reaction was in contrast to All Might's as him and Naomasa were close friends. All Might became slightly worried for why Naomasa seemed so shaken but he had to remember the reason for their gathering.

"I'm fine." he cleared his throat and walked through to take a seat, completely dismissing the eerie shiveres he felt as he walked to the office as mere hallucinations. "Anyway, Midoriya, we have to talk to you about a very important matter. Before we tell you, you must swear not to tell anyone outside of this room of what you have heard, am I understood?"

Izuku just leaned on the wall with crossed arms and cold eyes glaring at Naomasa. Izuku emitted a plain 'mm' as a yes. Aizawa narrowed his eyes; he didn't at all like this new fragile, minefield-like aura he had with him. It was as if one small thing would tip him to the side that seemed ultimately menacing. Aizawa kept his guard up but stayed in his position.

"You may want to sit down for this, MIdoriya." insisted All Might.

"I'm fine, just speak." Izuku said frigidly. Everyone in the room stiffened and looked at each other in skepticism. Nezu just drank his tea and judged Izuku's appearance and posture carefully.

"_He's not only in his villain attire, but he seems awfully hostile. More than usual."_ he thought.

"Okay, Midoriya. It's about my quirk."

"_Well, lo and behold." _Izuku thought plainly. He could feel himself getting angry from within.

"My quirk is called _'One_ _for All'_ and it's a quirk that has stockpiled an immense amount of power over the many, many years and can be given to anybody through the yielder's DNA by will. I was originally quirkless and my own...my own Sensei passed One for All to me as she thought I was worthy enough to obtain it but she'd gone now.." All Might became angry but regained his demeanour when he remembered who he was talking to. Izuku said nothing. "Anyway, this power has been stockpiled, so it couldn't have been from just one person, there were different people- no, _heroes_ involved. I have not found a suitable successor yet but as I watched you teaching the students, I think you have come to understand what it means to be a hero. Even after I had failed you so badly that you became a villain, there was still something bright within that not only us teachers could see, but the students are taking a liking to you, so.." he gave a serious look and his voice was full of sturdiness as he was about to declare the one thing that would be everyone's downfall.

Nezu drank from his cup.

"_Easy now, Toshinori."_

Izuku gripped tightly onto his arm and tapped his finger on it repeatedly.

"Go on, All might," said Izuku with a stoic expression. He spoke quietly so nobody would be able to hear him. "I dare you to say it."

"_Something's going to happen." _ thought Aizawa and Naomasa on the edge of their seats.

"I want you to be the successor of One for All."

The room went silent and it was like time stood still. In a situation as such, one would usually hear the heavy thumping of someone's heart but that was replaced with something worse. Izuku looked down to his feet and laughed slowly and darkly, causing his shoulders to bob up and down. That low chuckle then degraded into an atrocious, heavy laughter that provoked the room to turn dreadfully cold. Izuku's mundane eyes resemble two broken crystals basking in the deadliness of green poison as his teeth were gleaming in horror. His voice resonated within the furnished room as if they were in a cave, which worsened the situation. Izuku was truly finished with all the bullshit.

"Ah, All Might. All Might!" shouted Izuku as he ran his fingers through his black strands. His ears picked up a multitude of students were walking towards the door, but he really didn't care. "You are fucking ridiculous, you know that right?"

Aizawa quickly rose to his feet and attempted to bind Izuku up but that was wholly futile.

"That was a little daft, EraserHead. I am on par with All Might here when it comes to speed, think a little." commented Izuku as he swifted dodged the attack. Aizawa scowled and Nezu was beyond upset. Naomasa now understood that the eerie feeling he had before was not a hallucination. It was a warning.

"Sensei was right about you." spat Izuku with venom and bitterness in his eyes. "He told me all about your quirk and the fact that you were quirkless was the cherry on top of the cake!" Izuku walked towards All Might with footsteps so blaringly unbearable, nobody heard the door open. Izuku waved the bo staff in his face dangerously. "You dared to belittle me and tell me what I could and couldn't be? You thought it was heroic to tell me what I didn't have: a quirk! It's disgusting how superficial you are, all of you. The world is turning to shit in my eyes- in _All for ONe's_ eyes, but one man's trash is another man's treasure they say." Izuku inched even closer towards All Might and that instinctively caused him to step back until he hit a wall.

"_I have never in my life seen anything like this..ever."_ thought All MIght. Once he had hit the wall and Izuku was directly in front of him, Izuku gripped his bo staff and brought it up to stab...the wall next to All Might's most fatal injury. Though it was made of wood, the bo staff pierced through the wall like a hot knife through butter and Izuku, in the presence of the students and the heroes, twisted the staff deeper into the wall like a knife would penetrate through a man's flesh.

Almost the whole class were paralysed in fear as they looked at their 'teacher' in his villainous glory and wonder.

Izuku, with large, glassy, doll like eyes, stared up at the bo staff and then at All Might.

"You know, I really ought to kill you. But the thing is, it would probably hurt you more if the ones you cared for were hurt much, much worse. And in a callous fashion, at that. Wouldn't that be just swell?"

Aizawa fell into his chair unexpectedly but when he tried to arise, he could not. The cement of Izuku's detrimental soul stuck his feet firmly to the ground and that was the case for the students who were strong enough to stand.

"_What- What on Earth is meant by that..?!" _thought Nezu who was furious. Even a terrified hybrid such as Nezu still had some pride so he stood up and broke his mug and stared at Izuku.

"Yo-"

"Neeezu." said Izuku in a dry, detached tone. "No need to get so aggravated. I do not care for any of these nuisance hero-spawn students. Though I do remember beating the literal shit out of Bakugou. Yeah, I remember that one like it was yesterday."

At the back of the class accompanied by Kirishima and Sero, Bakugou turned red and clenched his fists white. Whether it was a red of anger or a red of embarrassment was a puzzle for the brain to solve.

Bakugou thought, _"That bastard...who does he think he is? After everything he's done - after everything I've done and said? He just.."_

Even though Todoroki was too afraid to speak or move a muscle, his thoughts never lied to him.

"_I guess he is just another villain scum."_

Mina was crying form where she stood. It was so painful to see the person she cared for so much, the person she gave a little hope to, spew such damaging words out of his mouth. Her heart was beating but not happily, she was confused as if she didn't even know the person who stood in front of him anymore. She thought back to the time they spent together outside like it was a secret place only they knew about, but now they seemed like distant dreams.

"_Why is he doing this? Who hurt him so badly that he'd disown his own students?" _Mina sniffed and cried louder. _"Or were we just obstacles that needed to be tackled like inconveniences? Was I an obstacle that was also an inconvenience?" _

Mina refused to believe that even she was held in such alien regard like a stranger, a mere interference in a game. So, with all the courage she wiped her tears and planted her feet on the ground solidly.

"Mr. Midoriya...I..I know you don't mean that!" shouted Mina to Izuku, who wasn't facing her. "Please, look at m-"

"You know, I have to give it to you, Mina. You have been the most annoying one. You are always trying to find my weak spot and exploit it to make you feel heroic and I find that quite violating, no? Well, here's a hint!" Izuku gave a smirk and threw his hands up in the air. "It's here. My weak spot is everywhere on me, including my mind. It's been staring right at you and it's funny that you tried so hard to find something so obvious. It really means you are that weak, huh." Izuku walked up to MIna causing her to tear up and her body to freeze. Though, Izuku didn't care about that. His eyes still didn't change around her.

"That's not-" She was cut off.

"Do you really crave the feeling of my hands wringing around your neck that much?" Multiples confused stares were given across the room. "Ah I see what it is, you remembered when I almost strangled you to death outside the dorms that time, don't you?"

All Might was distraught.

"Young..Ashido…"

Mina looked down in shame as everyone in the room, Naomasa and Nezu included, looked absolutely revolted at Izuku and some actually felt sick and their blood ran cold. While a group of students fainted, Aizawa made a phone call.

"Yes, this is EraserHead. Yes. Lock down all of U.A, including Alliance , because there's a villain attempting to escape. Yep, I'll leave it to you." he said through the phone.

"_This is becoming dramatic and tiring." _thought Izuku in annoyance. Izuku walked towards the door and by the time he got to the door frame, with his back facing the heroes and an unenthusiastic fist punched in the air, he spoke in a dead tone as he put on his featureless mask.

"Plus Ultra."

When Izuku walked out, he saw red fleeting sirens light go off in the hallways, alerting that a villain was in the building. He didn't at all like the sound of the ear-splitting siren but he thought of it as a last dance. It was his last dance in U.A with the bleeding sound off a siren acting as the fitting melody to his ears. As he walked towards the end of the hallways he saw Kurogiri standing there patiently and calmly.

"Have you got my sword?" asked Izuku. Kurogiri bowed and gave it to Izuku.

"We've been expecting you, Faceless." he answered politely. Kurogiri created a warp gate for Izuku to travel through, just like the old days.

"I'm home." said Izuku as he walked through the warp gate and left U.A.

To speak without purpose, a burning lyre.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter forty-two - **_With a Little Help from My Friends_

Walking through the portal, Izuku saw the familiar scenery greet him in a peculiar way. Witnessing the bar again after all that had happened was incredibly uncomfortable as he felt like a lost stray dog reuniting with a foreign home. It left an unsure feeling in the pit of his stomach to see it so suddenly because Izuku was as sure as ever that there must have been some kind of conflict in the villain scene during his time at U.A. There was no way the League just sat lazily in a fake momento contributing to nothing. That would be a disgrace to All for One and all he had battled to achieve for them! Then again, Izuku wasn't much of a go-getter himself, and if he was, what reason was there to go? What treasure at the end of the rainbow was there to get and where was he to go? To the warm embrace of the heroes and sit weakly or to the crumbling belonging of the villains… or to simply transpire in a meaningless void.

Had the lone villains moped and rotted away elsewhere in idleness? Lest…

"_To think they'd go as far as making a replica of the bar hideout. Perhaps it's an elegy incarnate or a coping mechanism." _he thought to himself as he looked around in detail. That same dark scratching on the wall was there, oh and the slightly dull wallpaper still lingered, Ah! Those emblems that are always in that corner, hidden from everyone and everything. It was indeed a very good copy of the old hideout, though the atmosphere of the old one wasn't quite there. Be it as it may, that was to be expected; you can't just erase and forget a life-time of memories and fights and deaths and chortles then expect the feeling to be the same. That's asking for too much, but it is human nature to befall such a greedy desire.

Izuku was satisfied nonetheless.

"Well, I'm here now. Nothing much to do about it." he mumbled to himself with a sigh. After further inspection he discovered that while he was astary in his thoughts, the League members were nowhere to be seen. Kurogiri, after retrieving Izuku, just walked behind the bar to shine glasses and organise his sacred shelves of alcohol. He looked at Izuku and saw that physically, he hadn't changed drastically but his aura and emotional stability seemed on edge as if he were a hungry knife beside a finger or a mouse trap that awaited its curious prey. He began to theorise what on earth had happened in U.A for that little box of silence to carry such an air of animosity and disgust with him like a pet. But then he stopped shining his glasses to look at the painting opposite him with his fist resting on his murky cheek.

"_I've the slightest inkling that they attempted to transform the boy into what he was not. How arrogant. To think the mind of flowers and honey wanted to transform him, the shapeless mould Sensei left him as, into something he was not born to be? I say, it is a most dreadful joke." _Kurogiri thought with a dark chuckle. Immediately, Izuku turned to face Kurogiri with a look of confusion.

"What's with the laugh?"

"Oh, nothing. Don't mind me. How was U.A?"

Izuku scowled.

"An experience I'd rather not relive."

"Is that so.." said Kurogiri in a breath as he stared at Izuku before continuing his frivolous job.

By chance, Izuku turned to face the couch that he had been dropped onto the first time he met the League. It was like that feeling had come over him all over again. Annoyance, perplexity and exhaust. There was a sense of pitiful restoration that clung to the handles of the chair and swung in the back of it. It was an everlasting restoration that seemed almost...cultivated. In this air of restoration, it became apparent to Izuku that Tomura, Tezobi and the rest of the League were absent. With an unfazed look, he enhanced his senses and saw that they were hiding behind a fake wall. That wasn't there before.

"_Are you fucking with me.." _thought Izuku as he rolled his eyes. He had just come back from casting away the heroes and cutting off the students but then he stepped foot in a replica bar to find that the very pillars of the League were playing hide and seek with a child that wasn't in the mood for child's play.

"Tezobi, Tomura. Get out of the damn wall." he said sternly. Like a duo of teenagers, Tezobi and Tomura walked from behind the wall confidently whilst mumbling under their breath and rubbing their necks. Tezobi crossed her arms and leaned on the wall smugly while Tomura lethargically slumped onto the sofa staring at his feet.

"Welcome back, Samurai shit. Hope the heroes didn't soften you up, becuase if they did, you can walk right the fuck out." said Tomura with smirk and the gesture of his thumb. Izuku cringed in irritance as he unsheathed his sword, much to the surprise of Tomura. Though, what lay in that surprise was a hint of relief that Izuku hadn't changed completely.

"Don't worry Tomura, the hero life didn't quite tickle my fancy. Though, you know, I do hope my sword has not become blunt," Izuku pointed the end of the sword to face Tomura's bloodied, dry neck.

"Mind if I try it on you?"

Kurogiri sighed while Tezobi shook her head as the two of them looked like they were about to break out into a fight. While she was of course irritated at their immaturity, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand since her mouth hurt from smiling so much, and her cheeks burned form blushing so. Tezobi could barely contain her excitement because she knew that she would never let him go again. She missed him more than she'd like to admit, so seeing the two of them fighting like they did back when they first met was nostalgic. While it was indeed sweet for her to see Izuku had returned, she did agree with Tomura. She really hoped Izuku hadn't buttered up and submit his emotions to the heroes at U.A otherwise it would become a train-wreck situation for the plan they had to accomplish soon. According to Tomura, anyway.

So, at sonic speed, she ran to kick Izuku in the middle of his spine. Though her steps were soundless, Izuku didn't even need to enhance his senses to know what was bound to follow. He leapt to the left abnormally, causing Tezobi to lose balance momentarily. In that small timeframe, Izuku roundhouse kicked her, which cracked a few minor bones and caused a few quiet grunts. Tezobi collapsed onto on knee as she silently breathed in and out to recover.

"_Was I that brutal?"_ Izuku thought in hindsight. It was a habit of Izuku's to lose control of his strength output when he was feeling fatalistic. Kurogiri just observed what was happening, as he knew Tezobi and Izuku wordlessly cared greatly about each other so it wasn't possible that they'd kill each other at that moment. Tomura still believed Izuku was in for it, so he got ready to do what was necessary in the unlikely event that worse came to worst. To his surprise, Tezobi grinned proudly and vivaciously at Izuku as she got up and stretched her muscles. Tomura glared in revolt at the sound of bones clicking into place and Tezobi's groan of content.

"So my lessons stuck with you, huh brat. Good." she commented with a blaze of fire in her eyes. Izuku played with his nails as he replied side-eyeing the man of many hands.

"Seems like everyone _but_ me is getting a little rusty, Handy Manny."

"You fu-"

"Alright, alright! Stop with the childish shit, we've got work to do. Tomura has business to proclaim." declared Tezobi rather loudly. At once, Tomura gave Izuku another death glare before relocating back to his former position on the sofa. Kurogiri also stopped shining glasses and had his hand behind his back. Izuku briefly noticed how everyone had promptly become quite serious.

"_What happened now..?" _he thought. Perhaps the group of villains hadn't been lazing around all day after all. Tomura then sluggishly got up from his lying position to sit up straight and he looked at Izuku. Tomura tapped his inimical fingers on the arm of the couch as he began to speak with a look of impedance gnawing at his pupils.

"A lot has happened while you were gone, Samurai shit. We lost five members and had to relocate to a warehouse for a while. Along with that, there was the tragic event of an occasion I'm sure you know of." Tomura looked deeply into Izuku's eyes and he slightly raised his eyebrows as if to say _'you understand what I'm trying to say."_ "After that event, we have indeed gone into battle with other villains and that was the cause of our numbers decreasing. We fought Tragedy and Overhaul at a different building to avenge Sensei. To cut out the middleman, we lost and the plan was unsuccessful. However, we did manage to somehow 'damage' Tragedy by saying his name. Lame, I know, but it was effective." Kurogiri loured at Tragedy disapprovingly.

"Just tell him the name, Tomura." said Tezobi.

"His name is-"

"I don't want to know. It's probably something that'll cause me more problems in the future and I don't need that, to be frank." said Izuku blandly with a hollow gaze. Tomura, Kurogiri and Tezobi all shared a look of question and consideration before resuming back to the story.

"You'll find out soon enough, Izuku." Tomura said in a whisper as he scratched his head. He proceeded to carry on speaking.

"Now, a little recently, I went to meet Overhaul to discuss some trading, recruitments and very important valuables that would enable the League to reign above on high, once and for all. But he didn't know that." Tomura grinned a grin so frightfully long that his lips cracked and bled. Izuku hummed in curiosity but his facial expression reflected nothing of the sort.

"Overhaul had disregarded our little quarrel as when it came to business, he wasn't one to joke. He told me about 'Quirk-erasing bullets' that once implanted into the victim, their quirk would be no more! I mean, It's gold, it'll really put us firmly on the map! He told me he wanted to collaborate at one point, in return for him revealing how he manufactured it." 

"I'm assuming you took the deal of the collaboration." replied Izuku as he soaked in all the information at once. There were a lot of loose ends and questions that roamed his mind about how certain occurrences came to cease, like how they essentially defeated Tragedy with his own name, but he figured he'd get those answers later.

"I did." Tomura answered shortly. That caused an awful feeling to arise within Izuku.

"He told you how the bullets were manufactured, right?"

"He did."

Izuku became more impatient and he couldn't quite tell whether or not Tomura was pulling his leg. He looked at Kurogiri and Tezobi only to see them possess a solemn look on their faces.

"_So it's that bad."_ he thought.

"How do they get manufactured, Tomura?"

Tomura sighed deeply like a thinking old man and pinched the corners of his eyes before finally looking at Izuku with a deadpan expression.

"Overhaul experiments on a little girl to get the serum of the bullet. It's because of her quirk that this whole fiasco with the Yakuza is going on in the first damn place." replied Tomura casually, though he knew of the significance his heavy words held. For a minute and a half, the bar fell silent and the air became dire. Izuku then lifted his head up and gave a small chuckle that completed the poison in his eyes. As he chuckled he covered his face with his hands, revealing his laugh morph into a repulsed, irked grimace. He was fuming. He was so incredibly angry that his neck began to ache and his chest became cold and numb while he felt sick in his throat.

"Hey..that Overhaul guy. He isn't even a human to me anymore."

"That's, uh… I don't-"

"No, he isn't human is he? He's scum, isn't he. That's fucking disguting, did you know that? To harm a child that knows nothing. I'd carve out his eyes or slash off his hands or cave into his skull. I know his quirk, it'll disable him too. I'd do all I said I would, Tomura. Believe me, I would." Izuku continued darkly in a hoarse tone as he gripped his sword tightly with huge beady eyes. For some reason, nobody doubted he'd actually do that.

Everyone present in the room was frozen in shock and fear at the pure ire Izuku displayed! His eyes were as large and dull as an old discus, his razor white teeth bit into his inner lip in vexation and his frightening white knuckles were second to none, I say! It was this specific wratch that had germinated within Izuku for so long that once it had been triggered, there was no _'switch off' _or _'control' _button to push or to click. Though, stunned in astonishment, everyone had known Izuku long enough to know that this anger he felt could thankfully only be due to children being hurt or having himself underestimated. Anger was swift and unpleasant but pleasurable, was it not? In contrast, Izuku saw that anger was a prolonged nuisance that diseased him and caused him to rupture like a volcano releasing scorching vibrant lava, only to later have that lava become a cold, black rock.

In such a sense, anger was a nuisance and absolutely not an unpleasant pleasure.

To ease the tension in the air, Tezobi cleared her throat and spoke.

"It's pretty shitty, but what are we going to do about it? We are villains, not a damn baby service." she spat. Izuku, releasing his fingers from his palms revealing the blood he'd caused to drip in abundance, realised that Tezobi spoke in such a horrific way as if she was the one being offended.

"_Tezobi isn't stupid and irrational, there's probably a reason for why she spoke like that."_ he thought. Izuku then sat on a stool at the bar, startling Kurogiri as he did it so suddenly.

"I'm going to get the girl." he said naturally, laying his head on the wooden worktop.

Another symphony of silence flooded onto the villains when Izuku claimed he'd 'get the girl'. It was far-fetched and unthinkable but he said it so firmly that they really did believe that he'd do it. Even so, they weren't happy about it.

"You plan on flying, you brat? How'd you expect to get through Overhaul's defenses and guards?" shouted Tezobi. "I know you weren't with us but he and Tragedy were the reason our numbers dropped so fast. This isn't a walk in the park."

"It does indeed seem unthinkable." commented Kurogiri.

"You're a fucking idiot, are you trying to get killed?" Tomura said as he pointed at his temple.

"What? You guys are acting like a bunch of cowards. Is this really the League? Because I could have sworn it was Tomura who used to come up with outlandish ideas." Izuku said in a gigglish daze, but that transformed into a look of haughtiness. "You lot weren't planning on raiding the place? That's fruitless and throwing away the key to getting yourself on the map. Overhaul's probably playing with you guys like Shogi pieces but that isn't the point of why I'm talking right now. I'm getting the girl away from Overhaul, mark my words. And for those of you who are in this for superficial purposes, the prowess of her quirk must be unbelievably high for these bullets to be made and work so effectively. It's killing two birds with one stone. We have both the brains and braun in this, what is there to think about? I'll go on my own if I must, but I'll see you guys as nothing but appalling excuses for humans. You condone this shit?"

"Now, now, don't go assuming stuff on your own!" retorted Tomura getting up close and personal with Izuku. "I never said I condoned that kind of stuff. It just ain't my business."

"Poor kid, she isn't anyone's business so she hasn't been picked up yet." says Izuku, not even looking at Tomura despite his fury being so prevalent. Tezobi kept quiet during Izuku's little speech but she did see how determined he was, which was something she often rarely ever saw. But the thing he was so passionate about was the thing that she hated with all her heart.

"_The brat couldn't like cats or something? It had to be children."_ she thought with her eyes cast down.

"Midoriya.." said Kurogiri thoughtfully. "It's true she could be one of the League members in an ideal world but this unfortunately isn't an ideal world. On the outside with no context, it would look like a villain kidnapping a little girl. If you cared about her and truly, _truly_ cared for her future, you would know that the villain scene isn't where she belongs. She is a child, please do not forget this."

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows and snarled.

"But was I not a child when you found me? Was I not a broken child that had nowhere to belong and could no longer commit to yielding to the demands of those around me? I'd feel insulted to the bone if I'd been labelled a hero, so do not think of me as such but… having morals is something humans are built to have. She has nowhere else to turn to, that's why she is there. Do you honestly think in a world where heroes are on every billboard and shop window known to man, a child would willingly aid scum at the bottom of the bucket?"

Kurogiri was dumbfounded and looking for every excuse in his mind to persuade Izuku to reconsider. Turning to what his emotions for once, Kurogiri stared at the ground and clenched his fists. Was it wrong to throw facts and reason to the curb and listen to the feelings that were waiting to be heard so desperately?

"I won't let you. I can't let you go in their blind."

"Then," Izuku tilted his head to side with a miniscule smile. "Be my eyes."

"You'll surely get killed, brat." commented Tezobi with pouty lips. "And if you get murdered by Overhaul in front of the kid, she'll feel guilty and feel indebted to you. It's a lose lose situation, if you ask me."

"Of course, I'm not so naive that I'd belive I'd get into a Yakuza residence like a fish in the water. However, I'd rather not act like getting in is impossible." replied Izuku deadpan. Tomura was finding it quite hard to believe that Izuku truly understood how much power Overhaul truly grasped. Sure, technically, Izuku would probably be able to defeat everyone in that condo with one swift quick action, quirk or not he'd get through it but..

"_Why do I feel so doubtful..? He's been to Hades for crying out loud."_ thought Tomura.

"So, you didn't think to formulate a plan or an idea of how to get there or how to get in?" Tomura judged. "You have to think swiftly and stride gingerly with these kind of things."

"A plan is something we'll formulate quickly, so let's begin and not waste a second."

Before anybody could retort, Izuku had already manipulated their minds into abiding by his strategy without them even realising it. With the way Izuku had cleverly meandered his way through their heads, they had no reason to back out and no way of backing out. Izuku had enclosed them all into a corner for his personal gain - oh but what's this? It wasn't for his personal gain? Why, of course! He was doing it to save the innocence of a child, for children knew nothing until foolish elders whispers lies into their ears like:

"_You are stronger than this person because you have a quirk."_

"_Hey, we are getting old. Support us financially and become a hero. It pays good and you just have to be strong, it's easy."_

"_If you aren't strong with a quirk, you're weak and can stay under."_

He didn't want the little girl going through things similar to such as she had probably never seen another kid before. Izuku just couldn't wrap his head around how she was experimented on!

"_How did it even come to that, fuck's sake.."_ he said rubbing his eyes. But he knew that the reason wasn't needed or necessary because he'd get her and go. He didn't need to know why or how her fortune was so terrible that she ended up like that. He didn't want to know.

Hours later, the gang of villains had decided that she would be useful when she grew up and that it was, in sooth, wrong to just leave the girl to be mistreated. So the plan they would do to salvage the little girl was all very concise and simple.

"All right," Kurogiri said clasping his hands together. " I understand what needs to be done, but let's have a run through. We warp to residence, fight who we absolutely must and then have Izuku and Tezobi briskly search the building for the child. Once they have her, they come back outside and we leave immediately. Correct?"

Izuku leaned back in his chair with his head swung back staring at the lamp above his head.

"Correct."

"It seems a little too easy, don't you think?" asked Tezobi.

"While you should never underestimate your opponents, you shouldn't overestimate them either. Knowing your opponent is inferior to you or knowing that you are capable of handling them is extremely important. What is there to worry about?"

"Famous last words." replied Tomura scornfully with a scoff. Izuku clicked his tongue in reply. Everything seemed set and ready to go quite quickly, but there was still a factor that everyone appeared to misconceive throughout their entire discussion. It was a factor so critical, that it could completely destroy them as a whole if they weren't careful.

"Midoriya, what would we do, should the heroes be there and decide to disrupt us?"

The corners of Izuku's lips were instantly raised as he swung his head forward to look at Kurogiri with his piercing green eyes.

"Well, more fun for me."

An insult of the highest bidder, a tribute of the lowest beggar.


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter forty-three -** _A Goat and a Sheep_

Warping to an unknown forest behind the Yakuza residence, the League gingerly trudged through the dead leaves and falling twigs. It was early in the morning but it wasn't so sunny outside; the ground was brown with dirt and vermin, as well as the uneven ratio of fawn to emerald leaves that clung to the trees. Though they walked cautiously, every snap of branch, any breath of wind and every tickle of a leaf was enough to keep their hearts racing and ears alert. When they were close enough to the residence to see curtains through the windows, it was clear that Tomura began to cross-check the plan in worry.

"I'm not so sure about all of this." he whispered roughly, scratching his neck. Izuku, though wearing a mask, could be heard scoffing.

"Cold feet, Mr. Shigaraki?"

"No, it's called being vigilant and smart about it. Do we really have to do this? It's a waste of time..-"

As Tomura spoke, he noticed that Izuku's patience was wearing thin, for when he looked down at his hands, he saw Izuku had dented the handle of his sword. It was a deep dent that was barely containing it's killing intent so Tomura decided to keep his doubts to himself and get on with it.

"_Why the hell am I so stressed about kidnapping a kid? This will incite a sense of fear within the masses when they hear the name of the League. This is good, this is good." _he recited in his head like a mantra. Tezobi looked to Izuku and then to Kurogiri and Tomura, as if she was a soldier going to war leaving their family. It wasn't that the look she gave was sheepish - it was really quite sure - but it seemed so forlorn and destined. Kurogiri didn't quite like that, he didn't like how the look she gave seemed so full of remorse and conclusive.

"Hey, Tezobi. This isn't the end, okay? We are all going to do this properly and we are all going to come back. So don't look at me like that." whispered Kurogiri. He was right, if worse came to worst, this would essentially be the end of the League. They would be finished and the Legacy of All for One would become nothing more than a legend, a _myth_ to be intonated to people.

"I know, it's just.." she sighed and rubbed her eyes for a few seconds before retaining a controlled gaze. "It's whatever. We get the girl and go, it's fine. Let's go, Faceless."

Before anymore could be said, she and Izuku took off in a blur. Kurogiri and Tomura were on the lookout for any Yakuza or any of the Eight Precepts of Death or even the Expendables, but nobody was there with them. It was just them, silence and the forest. However, when Kurogiri turned to look at Tomura, he saw that the young man no longer had the hand of his father on his face because he was biting his nails with a deep look of blankness.

"_So he's that worried about them? This does bring back memories of when Sensei first brought him in.."_ thought Kurogiri with a faint smile. He remembered when Tomura was little, he always had this terrible habit of biting his nails when he was upset or worried sick; so worried that he'd fall as mute as a graveyard!

"Tomura," said Kurogiri in comfort as he placed his hand on Tomura's shoulder, which startled him and caused him to look up. "It's fine, stop worrying so much. You're the leader of the League and Sensei wouldn't want an incompetant successor."

Tomura immediately withdrew his hand from his lips with a surprised look before his expression turned sour again.

"I'm not fucking worried okay. Just stay on guard." he grumbled putting the blue hand back on his face. Kurogiri nodded and faced northward.

Once Izuku and Tezobi had safely reached the back of the residence, they briskly looked around and checked that they weren't being followed or watched. The two of them walked a little more forward and when they saw the coast was clear, they searched the area for any doors or exits to get into the building. Tezobi looked behind a few bushes and then ripped blades of grass from their roots but saw nothing that suggested a trap door was hidden amongst the plants or amid the flowers. With his sensitive fingers, Izuku felt the wall to see if there were any odd grooves lurking about. He felt nothing and proceeded to think simply.

"_It could be hidden in plain sight, we could be overthinking this."_ he thought scanning the area. He then discerned an ordinary brown lock on the circumference of an oak tree. When Izuku enhanced his sight he saw that the tree was in fact fake, so he told Tezobi of his new found discovery and they were good to go.

"Alright," Izuku said getting ready to go through the door in the tree. "Let's g-"

Tezobi's body immediately stiffened and she raised her arm out in front of Izuku with her finger raised to her lips. Izuku soon understood that there were in fact three people tailing them and for some reason, he didn't think to enhance his senses before. He inwardly cursed his subtle arrogance and saw that the fight that would commence was inevitable. They both nodded and approached the force of power they had detected. Once they had found the three villains, Tezobi covered her mouth and laughed at the disappointment that lay before her. What a joke.

"Faceless, these aren't villains! They're lowly gangsters. Let's just hurry and get them outta the way." she said calming down. The gangster on the left had a firm, large build and white spiky hair. He looked to be in his fifties. The man in the middle was much more lean and had a wide mouth that framed on a small head. The man at the end of the line of three had a frame similar to the first man but had a bald square head. He didn't seem as outgoing as his comrades but he was no less dangerous.

"Oi!" shouted the man with the white spiky hair angrily. "Don't underestimate us!"

"Yeah!" agreed the other two gangsters. The three ran towards Tezobi and Izuku and the ground seemed to shake due to the amount of weight they held.

"You can't underestimate those weaker than you." mumbled Izuku under his mask as he calmly waited for one of them to approach him.

"Three against two...this hardly seems fair." commented Tezobi sarcastically as she easily ruptured the skull of the man with spiky hair. "You done over there, brat? We don't have all day."

"Mm." he replied emotionlessly with blood all over his attire and two lifeless corpses lying in front of him. They both quickly ran to the oak tree and unlocked the door with a swift kick before running inside in haste. Once they had entered into the oak tree, there were no support mechanisms or ropes or anything like that to get the person down to the ground: it was just a straight drop. Izuku guessed that was not due to Overhaul's stupidity but the fact that he thought that when people found it, they'd plummet to their death. At any rate, that wouldn't be the case with these villains.

Once they had safely landed on the ground, they instantly enhanced their senses, clearly not in the mood for a mishap like last time, and saw that nobody was close by where they were.

"I'm assuming they are out fighting the heroes, so there shouldn't really be anyone around." said Izuku.

"To save time, we need to detect where the population density is highest; that's most likely where Eri would be." replied Tezobi looking around. They both saw white walls and a dark blue reflective flooring when they observed the interior of the building they stood in. On some of the walls were windows with spotless white framing, but in the corner of the walls were spherical black cameras. Izuku saw these cameras blinking small red lights in their direction but he took no notice of it since nobody had seen his face anyway and if they saw Tezobi, they'd be dead soon anyway. The two villains noticed through the windows that their were just labs used for experimenting on animals and humans, offices, tradings and other areas for developing drugs. As they walked further up and down the halls, their ears picked up a cluster of hearts beating unevenly from two directions. They did not split up but instead thoroughly checked both places heedfully and saw that the first route was the one with curtains shut, disabling them from looking through the window.

"_She's probably there."_ thought Izuku. The two of them concealed their presence prior to walking towards the door. Expecting to see a hoard for villains ready to harm them, Izuku and Tezobi got into fighting stances with menacing glares and composure but much to their surprise, there was only one villain in front of them, and from the looks of it, he was quite slim and weak looking. Izuku gathered that the hearts beating weren't their enemies or one of Overhaul's puppets, but people being experimented on. It was unnerving, but he had to ignore it. With his blonde fringe covering his set of crazy large eyes and that trademark mask covering his face, the man quickly turned to face them, tapping his foot.

"I'll run there and slice him up nice and quick." said Izuku restlessly, not bothering to whisper. Tezobi shook her head.

"What if his quirk counteracts with yours? What then?"

"When I find out what his quirk is, I'll do my best."

Tezobi cringed.

"What do you 'try your best'? Fuck that, we're going togther; it's more efficient than being one man down."

Izuku, not wanting to waste even a second, simply compiled and headed toward the door. After looking both ways, he pursued the door but the man's head directly twisted to look at him with his big, almond shaped crazed eyes. The man wore a grey dress shirt and an orange tie as well black trousers but unlike the other villains Izuku had encountered during his short time in the presence of the Yakuza, he had no blood on him.

"_Easy kill, I'm sure." _thought Izuku. Izuku, now in front of the man, saw that even though there was clearly the look of a deranged fellow, there was also an aura of helplessness and sacrifice. Though not a sacrifice of healthy will or goodness, it was a sacrifice of lethargy and surrender. Izuku now saw that this man probably had no other reason to live, and so he had given his body away to the Yakuza. A fallen angel that had never encountered heaven.

That wasn't his concern, so Izuku proceeded to speed towards him with his sword gleaming in danger. As he ran towards the villain, he felt the bladed weapon leave the grip of his palm and end up in the hands of the lunatic blonde villain. Izuku cropped back a few steps for a little security and so Tezobi was shocked as well.

"_Is his quirk something to do with Magnetism? Taking weapons? Telepathy?" _thought Izuku like a calculator. When the villain saw how hard Izuku was thinking, he maniacally laughed and stared at the samurai sword in his hand and then back at Izuku.

"Now, now! What's this? You've come to take Eri, have you now?"

"_Eri?"_ thought Izuku. The man continued.

"I knew Boss made the right decision keepin' me to catch any enemies. Y'see, we can't have you guys taking the kid because she is the one pumpng out these bullets for us. The Boss saved me and took me in, I'll exterminate anyone who gets in his way. Even you girls." proclaimed the man getting ready to run to the defend the room in which Eri basked in.

"And you, girl with the mask, you're probably useless without your gear, right? Thanks for the handicap. Name's Toya Setsuno, but I guess it's useless since you're going to d-"

Before Toya could finish his sentence, he was promptly kicked in his abdomen, causing him to spit out blood and saliva.

This was an eye-opener for Tezobi. While she of course knew that Izuku's strength had little to no limits, she thought that even he would soften up a little after being captured by the heroes. But that kick showed no mercy, anyone could see that.

Even with that deadly kick, Izuku wasn't done yet, how exciting!

Once he had weakened Toya beyond repair, he used the sole of his foot and the tips of his toes to crush his ribes and throw him around the hallway like a ping pong ball. With nobody around and barely any material to absorb the sound being produced, only the chime of thick thumps and grinding bones and horrid wheezes and agonising cries could be heard. Toya was battered and bruised like a pinata and it became so scary to look at that Tezobi thought about stopping Izuku and sparing the poor man. Izuku broke the man's nose then tossed him to the side like a useless paper bag. He did this all the while in soundlessness; he uttered not a word nor a breath - almost like he was being controlled by someone else.

Before Izuku turned to face the door that trapped Eri, he glared at the man once more with a strange kind of hostility that seemed unique.

"This is the League, Toya."

Tezobi gulped and just looked at the unrecognisable man on the ground. He was barely breathing.

"Let's get her. Now." emitted Izuku sharply as he opened the door. After one last look at the dying man, Tezobi regained her sturdy demeanour and stepped forth into the room.

Pink. Sweets. Care. Love.

Those four words seemed to perfectly delineate the mere outline of the room they'd stepped into. It was in complete contrast to what they were expecting, which was a cold metal hospital bed, IV drops, syringes and a crying frail little girl. The room was warm and cuddly, it fit with the description of a child but something felt so off, so plastic and it almost felt like a mirage. A spell being cast onto them and the girl. Though you could only walk so far in front believing in a will-o'-wisp until you see for yourself that it's all a lie.

This was Eri's lie.

Walking past all the sweets and expensive toys that were hanging from the ceilings and being put on the shelves, Izuku drew nearer to the little girl tenderly. As he stepped forth, the little girl shook and shivered in so much terror that she was almost brought to tears. It was as if she believed she would be hurt again by big bad men; but Izuku was not a big bad man at all. So he slowly removed his mask and under that featureless mask was an adorable face. 'Twas a face with a delicate smile and one that held warm rosy cheeks and was finished off with two soft, glaucous eyes that had no killing intent hidden behind them. At this change of appearance and quality all together, the little girl instantly stopped looking so frightened. To her, Izuku no longer looked so paralysing, he looked kind and thoughtful and someone that would buy her candy.

"_He looks...lovely."_ she thought with a gulp.

After she saw how harmless Izuku looked and the sweet way in which he spoke to her as he called her name, Eri, the girl with long locks of snow white hair, ruby red eyes and a small horn poking out from the side of her forehead, jumped from the bed and hesitantly ran to Izuku and clung to his leg. Izuku smiled in reply and stroked her head.

"_It's okay, they can't hurt you anymore, Eri."_ he thought.

When Tezobi saw Izuku's tremendous expression, she was in utter disbelief. She knew that Izuku was fond of children since the incident at the _'Quirk Training Camp' _and the event at Hosu but...she felt like she didn't know Izuku as much as she thought. It was both a moment of overflowing exhilaration and bitter sorrow, like a drop of honey in a sea of salt. In the thick of Izuku standing with Eri, Tezobi held her fist to her chest with an unexplainable expression.

"_If even you can make an expression like that, what am I to expect in the future, you brat.."_ she thought with a sad smile. Tezobi cleared her throat and cleared her head as she remembered that this wasn't the void of her thoughts, but the residence of the Yakuza. She sniffed and spoke, catching their attention.

"_Just now.."_ thought Izuku as he stared at Tezobi with an uneasy expression.

"We need to leave, don't get too comfortable, Faceless. Kurogiri is waiting." she said as she walked out of the room.

"_Just now, did she sniff? Is she upset?" _he thought. He felt Eri tugging at his Yukata, so he picked her up and ran at top speed to the old Oak tree before anyone could see him. Though, the only people looking at him were the dead, for the dead slept with their eyes open and their thoughts and lips shut.

Standing over the bed bound body of the former boss, Overhaul possessed a solemn look of remorse for the impending invasions.

"I'm sorry, Boss." said Overhaul with his golden eyes piercing through the dark. "It's going to get a little loud in here but I promise you, it'll all be over very shortly."

With his only response being the recurring sound of the heart monitor and the quiet splash of an IV drop, Overhaul left his Boss' sickbed and began to head out. As if rehearsed, a loud thud was heard at the front of the Yakuza residence and that was Overhaul's cue to grab Eri and find refuge in an underground base with the other man.

"Let's go and get Eri quickly. There's no time to waste." Overhaul ordered to the man in the white cloak.

"Yes."

They both ran speedily to where Eri's room was located, awaiting to find a red-eyed girl curled up in a ball as she usually was, only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. Straight away, Overhaul's heart dropped and his pupils contracted rapidly. Taking a step back he accidentally set off his quirk and caused a ripple of spikes to jut from the ground. The man beside him was in equal shock and turned to look at Overhaul's pale face.

"How on earth could someone could break in when there were not only heroes outside, but the guards too?" the man thought aloud.

Overhaul knows that nobody would dare betray him, so who could it be? When he asked himself this, his eyes flared up as there could only be one person who would gamble with his life and all that came with it on such a day..

"Shigaraki! That bastard, it has to be him!" he roared and hit the wall with his fist. "Chronostasis, we must get to the door outside, that's probably how he got in."

"Yes, Boss. Though I believe he could also be with the rest of the League as well."

"What _League_?" he asked as they both ran. "They're all dea- Shit."

"_No, no, no. They aren't dead. Tragedy and I just killed the weaker ones. The core of the League are still alive. Not to mention, I suppose that Faceless is still alive and is either fighting with the Heroes or has reunited with the League. Shit." _he thought in frustration. It was a nuisance if Izuku was on either side of this battle. The reason for this was due to how unreadable and dubious he tended to be. With a face like that, fooling anyone was a game in which he was the king. He was quite the dark horse, including villains and heroes. Moving Izuku to the back of his mind, Overhaul's running slowed down. He had to fully comprehend what losing Eri meant. Not only did he lose the Boss' grandchild, whom he trusted with his soul and heart, but he lost his business and respect. He had spoken so grandly of his own potential with these quirk erasing bullets and other drugs but when the very heart of the plan was gone, he was gone too! And so, the Yakuza would descend to their old lifestyle of being the bottom of everyone's priority list.

"_I can't let him down. He did all of this for me...and I just fail..? No, I'd rather be dead."_ Overhaul thought as he tightened his fist. In an attempt to calm down his leader, Chronostasis advised that they move on.

So they did.

With an eclipse of red, bloodied war happening on the front lines and a little girl on the run, one would say it was quite the sight. Both villains and heroes were losing men and it was becoming quite brutal. So brutal and desperate that these could hardly be called humans.

"Hey, heroes: where has your humanity gone, why are you tackling them so violently? Hey, villains: why are you even fighting? The heroes always win, it's the way things are." is how a child would think in such a situation, but unfortunately it wasn't so black and white. Amid the grey, were the monstrous heroes who had everything a man could dream of but bore the soul of a pagan. Though alongside those heroes were default villains just trying to get by. Each day they survived was them scraping through a life they had not chosen, but they hadn't any room to complain because they were 'lucky' to be alive and fight for their side of the scales; the villain side.

As a certain blonde hero was fighting a large, bird-like villain with a green hero, he noticed that there was some ominous energy being emitted from the far end of the battlefield. It was one that seemed quite immobile, and didn't threaten anyone or anything directly but it was definitely tempting his curiosity. Due to the main focus being to fend off the villains to save Eri, nobody had noticed this aura, but he seemed to be the only one. So, him being the valorous person he was, he went to do something about it.

"Froppy!" he shouted to the hero beside him.

She spun her head in question. This caught the attention of multiple heroes like EraserHead, Ryuko Tatsuma, Sir Nighteye and Uravity.

"I… I have a feeling there's something quite powerful or ominous down that way...I'm going to go and look!" he declared as he permeated through the ground, catching this large bird-like villain to be caught off guard giving enough time for the other heroes to take charge and capture it. Froppy and the heroes who heard were not quite liking the way this blonde hero had just left, it gave her a strange feeling that she didn't like so much.

"_I have to follow him...we all do!"_ she thought as she looked at the bird-like villain shrink in size. When she ran, this caused a chain reaction to occur and the few heroes that had overheard his venture-to-evil wanted to follow her. As they all ran closer to this blond hero, they too felt the huge burden of darkness fall onto their shoulders unexpectedly and it made their hearts beat even heavier. Though it was an unpleasant feeling, like a sheep trotting to its slaughter, it made them happy knowing that they'd act like the heroes they truly were.

With Eri cradled in his right arm and Tezobi running to the portal, time was ticking for Izuku. He enhanced his senses and detected that there were in fact more than four people speeding in his direction but one of them seemed strange. This anomaly wasn't in fact running but…

"Falling..?" he said aloud as he ran with the portal in his sight. Seeing Kurogiri not so far away boosted his speed and determination, which was good but just as he was about to get a little further, mountains of spikes protruded from the ground from behind him. Eri gasped and buried her face in Izuku's yukata.

"_Those spikes...no, I don't want this..!" _she thought as a tear rolled down her cheek. Instead of thinking about her own safety, she couldn't shake the thought of being the cause of Izuku's potential injury or even death. She could not bare such a poundage at all, she'd feel that guilt hanging over her for the rest of her life and it would prove that Overhaul was right; all she did was cause harm to others. Izuku instantly jumped like a hare, dodging the spikes. Whilst he was mid-air, he saw an all-too-familiar group of faces, and it seemed as though they recognised him too. Once he reached the ground and made sure Eri was secure in his arms, he turned to Tezobi.

"Here were fucking go." she said clicking her tongue in annoyance. Uravity stared at Izuku's mask and body, as she thought they looked familiar. A few moments had passed until she realised that it was indeed Izuku standing in front of her. Her once encouraging, friendly face slowly sunk into one of complete hostility and abomination. Memories of Iida's crying face flickered like a beard of flames in her mind, causing an even larger storm of emotions to overtake her.

"You!" she growled as she ran towards him. "You villain!"

Izuku took no notice of her and allowed Tezobi to finish her off for him. All it took to take her down was a knee in the gut, despite Gunhead's training. Froppy shrieked and ran to help her friend while Eraser Head just stood there, glaring at Izuku in wonder and exasperation. So many questions were running circles in his mind and caused him to just... stand there.

"Eraser! What are you doing just stand-"

"Let me handle this, Sensei!" announced the blond hero before anyone could retort. It was when he got into Overhaul's radius, that he felt something small prick his arm.

"_Probably those infamous quirk-erasing bullets."_ thought Izuku with an inward smirk, he ticked his head to Kurogiri's position to signal Tezobi to go there and not waste time with pompous heroes. While Tezobi would usually stand her ground, she knew that it was better to get as many people back as possible. It was foolish to run into danger without checking who was there first, but that didn't stop Ryuko Tatsuma and Night Eye spontaneously turning towards the blonde hero.

However, a large hole ripped through Night Eye's chest, killing him instantly.

"Now, now. Let the bullet take effect." Overhaul said in a hollow tone. "Chronostasis, fetch Eri. Quick."

"_Effect..? Mirio-"_ thoguht Eraser, but his mind was too struck by the sudden death of Sir Night Eye. He felt like getting on his knees and taking his body away respectfully, but he had to be strong for the blonde hero names Mirio, who could only see red as he stood in between Izuku, who held Eri, and the dead hero.

"I.. I don't know.." sobbed Mirio as he stared at Night Eye's lifeless body skewered onto the thick spike. "I don't know what to do, Sensei, I- ugh…"

He sniffed and kept wiping his overflowing tears. Izuku pushed Eri's head further into his chest to avoid her seeing all that was happening. It was the least he could do after 'kidnapping' her.

"_You do know what to do, Mirio.." _called out a voice in his head. It was a voice that belonged to Night Eye.

"_You're a hero, so fight on. You aren't alone."_

Those words...whether or not they were hallucinations were absolutely invalid as they granted a new hope within him and he saw how foolish he was acting. His tears dried in his eyes as he clenched his fists.

"_That's right..that's right! There's a scared little girl in front of me, what hero would I be to cry at a time when she feels more pain? I now know what to do." _he thought. He tried activating his quirk with all he had in him but...it didn't work. It physically, mentally and emotionally didn't work. There was no such thing as an off-button with quirks, they should work. Why won't it work? Why can't he save Eri?

"Well," echoed Izuku's dull, bored voice as he slit Chronatosis' throat with the tongue of his sword from behind. Sneak attacks weren't effective with someone of Izuku's vigilance. "Show's over folks."

"Why can't I do anything..? Eraser Head, stop them, even if I can't!" screamed Mirio helplessly. Eraser Head grunted and ran towards Izuku and made sure to be careful around Overhaul and the warm body that slept motionless on the ground.

"Why are you doing this, Faceless?" yelled as he dodged the small spikes, but at the same time as he got closer, Izuku got further away. He was walking calmly into the portal with Eri in his arms.

"_Damn it. Damn it all."_ he thought as he protected the little girl's head. Overhaul was having a breakdown and he let his emotions get in the way of his actions, causing him to accidentally step far into Izuku's personal bubble.

The second he did that, he then and only then felt Izuku's _true_ killing intent. It was only then and only then that he felt Izuku's true bloodlust. It was then and only then that he saw that all the tales he had heard of 'Faceless'; were not fables nor were they tales of an old man, they were critical warnings not to overstep your ground around him. And unfortunately, he overstepped.

"There you go, Overhaul. You're useless now."

"Huh?" Overhaul said, wide-eyed. He suddenly felt an excruciating pain rush up and down his arms and then quickly back to his heart. He looked to where his feet stood and saw his hands drop to the ground. His heart beat much faster and much harder than it should be able to, so Overhaul experienced a sensory overload. He didn't know what to think and he couldn't think at all. Not about the Boss, not about the Expendables, not about the Eight Precepts of Death and certainly not about Eri. It was an empty void and his head thumped painfully.

Eraser Head stopped running as his jaw jung open.

"...w-why.." he uttered croakily.

As Izuku he walked over the dead bodies and the the amputated hands and all that ghastly blood, he still cradled little Eri in his arms and approached that ominous portal.

"This is not for personal gain, I assure you. Now, run along, you angels."

_(Tartarus)_

Surrounded by the magnitude of strips of yellow police tape and the smell of rotting human flesh, Tragedy squatted in the area that he killed All for One in as he traced the stained walls with his finger tips. He soaked up all the joy and nostalgia that the death brought with it.

"Dawn is craving the stage, old man. I told you I'd overthrow you, the king, and I did!" he said as he looked at his wrist as if there was a watch there, except there was no watch. "It's only a matter of time now."

Quietus doth glide on swift wings.


	44. Fan Tribute

**A thank you.**

**I'd like to thank Natsuki fan for the fan art of Tragedy. It makes me so happy to see that someone would take the time out of their day to draw my OC like that. I also like the little Japanese annotations on the page. ;) **

**I just want to make sure s/he gets the credit and love s/he deserves for doing something so cool lol. **

**S/he's on YouTube(It's Natsuki Fan with a pfp of Gowther with glowing glasses) and it was quite recently (somebody had to tell me about the whole thing). Hugely appreciated, thank you so much and... now I can't stop smiling. **


	45. Chapter 44

**Chapter forty-four - **_The Rain won't go away, no Matter how much I sing._

"Will I be okay..., Mr. Aizawa?" queried Mirio on his hospital bed as he twirled his fingers on his lap.

"You'll be fine," replied the dark-haired teacher but he continued to speak when he saw the blonde hero's mouth open again to ask something else. "And no, I don't know if we can or will retrieve Eri from the villains."

At this, Mirio's spirit died down and his face was once again filled with despair and grief. He'd been in the same bed for a couple of days due to the injuries he had sustained and that strange bullet that had injected itself into his skin. He was often alone most of the time as visitors were rarely permitted to see him unless it was a hero or a direct family member. Due to Mirio's solidarity, he'd usually fall into a brief depressive state because of his incapability and of course because of the passing of his late teacher, Sir Night Eye. The last few words that he had heard from his teacher were full of hope and were as heavy as lead, so they stuck with him and were truthfully the only thing keeping him going. Mirio would always be chipper and glorious like nothing was wrong at all! He would always say _"Good Morning, Doc." _or _"Yeah, I'm doing quite alright!"_

But it just wasn't true, was it?

When people saw that all the smiling and joy he was displaying was a facade - a glass panel poorly covering up his true feelings - they'd ask how he was really doing. Even when people would go out of their way to look to him, he'd _always_ reply with an even brighter grin and a thumbs up and that would _always _result in them awkwardly exiting the room he was in. That left him alone. Alone, with his fake grin and happy quality.

Mirio buried his face in his hands for a minute, sighing deeply and heavily. Exhaling all the rotten occurrences that had passed, he sat up in a daze and stared at the plain ceiling with a sniff.

"_My neck hurts."_ he thought passively with his permanent smile.

Aizawa, seeing that Mirio was clearly not okay, slowly walked up to him to pat his back and orate to him words of wisdom.

"Mirio. You can talk to me about anything. Especially after the funeral..." said Aizawa softly. Mirio stiffened at the mention of the funeral. "Are you sure you-"

"Mr. Aizawa, will I be useful ever again? Am I useless? Am I a burden and a failure, now that Eri is with a villain?"

Those words were like cold pins that fastened Aizawa to where he was standing with his hand still floating in the air - stationary. The raw weight of responsibility and understanding had plugged itself into Aizawa's shoulders and he realised that all the questions Mirio dearly needed answers to couldn't be answered right away, that was the sad thing about the situation. The questions that had been asked quite clearly reflected the emotions Mirio was truly feeling and they weren't good ones. For once, Mirio was being honest. There was no smile of reassurance and no kind words. They were Mirio's raw insecurities being told to Aizawa for the first time. Hell, those questions weren't the end of what he was feeling. Mirio wanted to talk to someone about how to better himself without being self-deprecating. He wanted to pick heroes' brains on how to build yourself up stronger than ever! He wanted to know how he was perceived to the masses! Did his smile get through to them? Or did his smile just seem like a plastic rose yellowing with age as it was walked past and acknowledged?

Aizawa looked at him with pursed lips and uncertainty, knowing that he hadn't fulfilled his job of not only being an adult, but being a hero to the desperate boy in front of him. Mirio was practically begging for a string of hope.

"I-"

Mirio's eyes widened as he listened carefully, hungry and ready for what Aizawa had in reply but that was fugacious. The persistent buzzing in Aizawa's pocket screamed at him to pick up, and so he did. He saw that it was Principal Nezu on the phone and quickly dismissed Mirio. Like a parent on the phone would ignore a nagging child. Answering the call quickly, Aizawa ran to the door and turned to look at Mirio shortly before vacating the cold room.

"Sorry, Mirio. This is urgent and I promise you I'll answer your questions after the storm has calmed."

Not waiting for an answer, Aizawa dashed off and left the room as silent as the winter breeze. The clocked ticked as it usually did, the clouds swam in the sea as they normally should and the blonde boy sat and smiled to himself as he normally did. He was always an inspiration to other people, and heroes would say he was a 'role model'. But what about the suffering that role model went through? I mean, it's not like he's important or anything. He only lost his teacher in the field of battle, failed to save a little kid, lost a few buddies on the road to success and probably cried himself to sleep a few times due unhealthy loneliness. Nothing very shocking, right? And it was ridiculous that even when Mirio was pursued and asked for, like what Aizawa had done, he was usually the one left hanging. But it was normal for him and probably his other successful peers as well.

While Mirio would usually insist on detaching himself from the bed and plea to help the heroes, he currently had no intention of doing so. He hadn't the energy anymore.

"Everyone...everyone is so busy helping rebuild the hope that has collapsed. But I'm in bed, moping in my own pity. I'm so useless, Sensei…!" he uttered shutting his eyes and tightening his grasp on the sheets. "But it's doctor's orders, isn't it. I'm so sorry Eri.."

Arriving at Nezu's office breathless, Aizawa quickly sat down as he could guess that this long awaited meeting was about the Shie Hassasikai Raid. Nezu spoke to the other heroes present about what he had to say.

"Greetings, all. I'm going to be entirely blunt here." he said with a more serious expression. "We...we are all aware that the passing of one of one greatest masterminds, partners and heroes has left a gaping hole in the middle of our hearts. I, for one, would know that. However, we cannot let this affect the way we provide and serve the citizens. Sir Night Eye's tragic passing should be a wake up call to us! To tell us we must not back down in the face of evil and corruption! We must not let the villains win! We must not let our students or any of our heroes be taken away like that _ever _again!" Nezu inhaled and straightened his tie as he returned his gaze to the congregation, who had their eyes locked onto the whole time. "I believe I have made myself clear."

Everyone present nodded and said yes. All Might did this as well, but in a much more dejected manner.

"_All Might. 'Symbol of Peace, Protector of all, Pillar of society!'"_ thought All Might in frustration with a clenched fist. _"How can I call myself that? Is this what happens when I'm weak and no help? My comrades die? And the girl…"_

"All Might," whispered Aizawa with a glance. "You weren't there, it isn't your fault. There was nothing you could do, so stop this negativity. You're always stressing out, relax."

All Might stared at Aizawa in incredulity, earning him a weird look in return. He usually only got teased or ignored or got a disappointed look from Aizawa, but he, for once, was giving him advice? And it wasn't one with a malicious intent. Things were looking up amid the pessimism.

"Thank you, Aizawa! You're completely right, it wasn't my fault, but that won't stop me pumping the kids, the country and the world with hope! I'll do my best!" he replied with a smile. Aizawa sighed and faced the front.

"What are we to do about these...these unfortunate circumstances, Nezu?" asked Ryuku Tatsuma meekly. It was after she said that, a whispered curse was heard from someone else.

"Unfortunate circumstances, she says! God forbid Night Eye rises from the grave and slaps her on the wrist for this _'unfortunate circumstance'_." mocked a short, child-looking hero with white hair from his seat sarcastically. His risky comment had glued all the eyes of the room on him.

As if to say _'How dare you'._

"That's enough from you, Kitto." proclaimed Nezu calmly, settling the small hero down. "Considering you weren't present at the fight, I do not think you have the right to comment on what happened."

"But it's true isn't it?" Kitto said darkly. "This 'unfortunate circumstance' happened due to the hero's carelessness, the hero's arrogance. I wonder, is it something the strong are born with. You know, acting like we can do everything on our own and running into danger without a single thought. I do wonder."

The room was hushed at Kitto's statement. The reason for Mirio's quirk leaving him was all due to him running into danger blindly, just as the reason for Night Eye's death was due to him running into danger blindly. Didn't the heroes think, and were they strong born with arrogance?

"But..that's what makes us heroes, isn't it?" retorted All Might standing up. "It might seem like throwing logic to the curb, stupidly running into danger. It may seem a little like we're contradicting what we tell children and people everyday like hypocrites. 'Never run into danger' we preach. But isn't that the very essence of being a hero? Having our bodies move before we think about it, defeating the villains with all our strength no matter what... it's what makes being a hero live up to its name. Night Eye did what he had to do, and I respect him for that."

Both contrasting opinions but similar undertones, the room broke into a discussion of what it meant to be a hero instead of discussing the damage and lives cost due to the battle. All Might sat down, satisfied with what he said.

"_It's just like you to say something like that, All Might."_ thought Nezu.

"_There's not much I can do, but I won't let your name be tarnished like that, Night Eye."_ thought All Might.

"Now, now. I know emotions are running high and that both Kitto and All Might have interesting points to get across but can we not forget our purpose for being here today, at this hour?" the group of heroes quietened down and collected back their sense of order. Pleased with the control he had seized, Nezu smiled and continued.

"As we speak, the police are dealing and investigating the details of the crimes of Chisaki Kai and the rest of his minions. Many of them have been either killed or captured so they're all being interrogated in police stations. The police, with Detective Naomasa leading, are investigating how long the Eight Precepts of Death have been experimenting on the young child and her origins. Her quirk is unknown at the moment but the way that Overhaul spoke about it made it sound like a powered up version of his own quirk. If that's the case, the League will soon realise kidnapping her was redundant."

The heroes nodded solemnly but most of them still couldn't wrap their head around the fact that a small child had been hurt and kidnapped right in front of their eyes! Some of them were present during the raid, some of them weren't, but it was absolutely certain that part of their broken hearts weren't feeling too heroic that day. That, of course, wasn't intelligible by others that weren't heroes because all they saw was a cool, flashy hero defeating villains easily. They didn't know the pitless, soul-eating feeling of not being able to save someone. They didn't understand the depth of guilt and revulsion that infested the blood that ran through their veins. They wouldn't fathom the sheer pain and patheticness of losing a civilian - a _child_ to villain. Nobody but the heroes would be able to know the heart-tearing, mind-crushing, stingy-eyed pang they felt daily. Not in a million years.

But it wasn't like the heroes were always alone and sad, hence they had to accept it and carry on with their discussions.

After two hours of in depth discussion on Eri, Overhaul and the sustained injuries and trauma, Aizawa suddenly remembered something Izuku had said before disappearing. As he was jotting down notes and sharing them with his colleagues, he dropped everything and his hand became immobile for a few seconds. That didn't go unnoticed by Nezu, All Might or Kitto. In fact, the majority of the room saw this bizarre development due to Aizawa always leaving that same stoic expression printed boldy on his face.

"What?" asked All Might frantically. "What is it?"

"I don't know if it'll be any help or hold any significance, no, in fact this could just be slowing us down-"

"Just spit it out already! I can't wait any longer!" interrupted Kitto bright-eyed. Nezu nodded slowly and Aizawa rubbed his face.

"When Faceless was entering the portal with Eri, I called out to him, asking why he was doing this. The last thing he said was 'run along, you angels'. I don't know...the profound and peculiar way he said it," he subconsciously articulated his hands as he spoke. "...just alarmed me and it stuck with me. Even up till now. I don't know what it means but I've said it now." confessed Aizawa droopily. All Might's eyebrows furrowed and Nezu rubbed his chin. Kitto was just confused so he said nothing for the moment.

"Angels, you say. Now, that is indeed odd. I believe he is referring to us, the heroes, as angels.." Nezu commented as he sipped tea. "Angels, angels angels…"

"Maybe there could be demons to top it off." joked Kitto. "C'mon. He's pulling our leg to get us thinking and waste time! Can't you see that? It had no meaning. And what even _is_ he to you guys? To have you thinking so intently on everything this guy does and says..hmm.."

Ryukyu cleared her throat.

"Well, to be fair, he was the one holding the little girl. We must take down any clues dropped for us if we are to get her back to safety."

"That's true." said one hero from the left as he nodded in agreement.

"She's got a point." said a horse-like hero in the back. Kitto snarled and looked around at the bounteous mix of nodding heads and understanding attitudes. The murmur rose and he could clearly hear his peers saying 'yes' and 'exactly' overhead.

"Like a pack of dogs..the lot of you." he said.

"Hah?" huffed Aizawa irritated.

"Did you not hear yourselves?" Kitto ran his fingers through his hair and childishly spun in his chair. "You are quickly picking up the insignificant crumbs of a non-existent biscuit that's being left by Faceless. See how desperate you are, that you'd cling to absolutely any kind of information fed to you. Honestly, this is-"

At that moment, Kitto's little ramble was heckled by a scoff from Aizawa. This raised brows and caused chairs to turn. Aizawa really was opening new doors of emotional reaction when it came down this topic. Now, the question is whether these reactions were for Eri or for Izuku?

"So, you want the girl to get saved this much, huh? You'd go as far as insulting us because you're that worried?" Aizawa was going to stop there but he saw the white-haired hero was going to argue sourly, thus he continued. "I'm not making fun of you for it, Kitto. Believe me, we are all worried beyond explanation but the whereabouts of the League are currently unknown. Stop being inane and sit tight."

As Kitto was about to raise his hand and speak with his mouth already wide with words in counter, he stopped and was left speechless. Kitto only blinked in response as his eyes shifted to the floor, but that was followed up with a small smile of surrender and comprehension. He melted back into his seat with a sigh and a knuckle resting on his cheek.

"Alright, alright. Let's just get this over with. Are we getting the kid or not?" he said lazily. Kitto asked the question at hand casually, as if he were talking about fetching some rice or water for dinner, but the riposte of the audience was nothing related to the sort of 'casual' being displayed from the small hero. Now the room was really still with respect, and a burning desire for answers was birthed within them uncommunicative. Nezu stood up unconfidently and looked at his feet before looking up again.

"We... need to be realistic about this situation. With the investigation still fresh and arrets still being made and the location of the League being unknown to everyone, fate isn't on our side with this one." In response to this, some heroes' eyes watered, some dulled and some of their eyes weren't visible behind the hand of disappointment and the thick sound of groans. In an attempt to restore hope and liveliness to the group, Nezu weakly smiled and uttered some words.

"T-Though if anything comes back, you'll all be the first to know...!"

With that cheering up resulting fruitless, nobody said anything but one or two heroes dotted around the room replied politely with a half-smile. Aizawa looked at the ground and punched his own thigh. All Might cursed to himself. But, Nezu just stood there because he knew he couldn't just let his emotions seep through in front of everyone, for that would lose whatever hope was left, if any. Inside, he felt like a volcano overflowing with solidarity, hatred and regret.

"I'm a failure, my apologies." he said to himself, he then spoke loudly for everyone to hear him clearly. "The meeting has concluded. You can leave and finish your jobs as before."

People left gloomy and unsure of the future, wordless and mute. Kitto looked up one last time before going back outside while All Might and Aizawa stayed to say a few last words of encouragement.

"This whole mess will come to an end very quickly," comforted All Might with smile and pattign Nezu on the back. "I'm sure of it!"

"What he said." Aizawa added with his hands in his pocket and his gaze elsewhere. Nezu gave a genuine smile of gratitude and thanked them for their kind words before they went to teach. When he was alone in the room he gulped down all of his tea naturally, as if he were inhaling oxygen and threw the ceramic cup to the hard floor, shattering it. Clutching his head like a child would clutch a ball, Nezu felt like kicking himself for not being able to do more; for the little girl and for his colleagues. He always knew that lying was sinful and wrong, that the truth would set you free and minimise your issues in the long run. But that wasn't what it felt like at all. In fact, it didn't set him free but instead shackled him to the cage of shame and deep, deep defeat.

It wasn't his first time being shackled to such a cage, though.

"I hope you're right, Toshinori.." Nezu said as he resumed back to his paperwork. "Where did I go wrong, Midoriya.."

When they returned to the replica bar hideout, Tomura immediately sighed and threw himself onto the sofa near him, while Kurogiri went behind the counter and Tezobi and Izuku, with Eri stilled locked in his arms, went to sit on the tall, three-legged stool that stood close to the counter. All three of the villains sighed at all that they'd latterly experienced, clearly tired but successful. Eri, who was in a new environment was stilled frightened beyond the barrier of words, was slightly teary-eyed but wasn't so upset that she'd start crying. I mean, she'd seen and felt a lot worse. However, at that moment, the villains' minds weren't completely focused on her safety or wellbeing, but instead about 'what' she was and silly things like that.

Chewing on his inner lip, Tomura stretched his leg out on the soft sofa and shamelessly stared at Eri like an irritance.

"_This is gonna be a shitfest, I can feel it. We might as well call this the fucking 'League of Babysitting'."_ he inwardly judged the meek girl. _"But...she is powerful. Uncontrollably, actually."_

Tomura soon shifted his sight to Izuku, who saw that Tomura had been staring at Eri but Tomura wasn't the only one staring at the kid; Tezobi did so as well, but in opposition to Tomura's obviously rude but honest opinions and queries, Tezobi stared at the girl in a completely different light. She glared at her, in pure disgust and jealousy. She eyed her like a bully would eye up their next victim, or a wolf would eye up a sheep. But what differentiated her from a bully or a wolf was that she had a soft heart. Tezobi was jealous that the girl had someone like Izuku to passionately protect her, no matter the cost - be it limb or leg! When she was beat up by her dad, who was there to help her when her sister couldn't? What about when she had to kill her own father to simply release the fraction of madness that grew within her heart, who was there to give her emotional support? The more Tezobi's bubbling black envy cultivated, the more she dug her nails into her slender white arms and the more her neck ached and the more she held back angry tears and the more her white eyes burned and the more she wanted to destroy everyth-

"U-Uhm-"

"Midoriya, why did you call the heroes angels?"

The small fair-haired girl recoiled in horror at Kurogiri's sudden intervention.

"Yeah, what was that about?" questioned Tomura.

"Oh, that.." replied Izuku.

"_Kinda let that slip, didn't I."_ he thought.

"Well," Izuku continued. And hence, Izuku recited his dream accordingly as it had happened. Though, he kept all the components of the dream the same, he retold it in a sort of story-like manner. A story where he was a fallen angel, being shown both the good and the bad. But his business of witnessing heaven and hell merge into each other was not told to him. There was no sign, nor clue nor hint to help him out but he generously felt all of the rushing amounts of pain of the red butterflies along with the exasperation and exhilaration of emotion violating him to no end. The end, though, was when a boy whispered queer words into his ears.

"Fascinating." answered Kurogiri at last, after long drawn silence. "...Make Believe, the quirk that even Sensei was incompatible with. A dream of both heaven and hell, pain and pleasure, bliss and burn. Though, your dreams are premonitions, so whatever could this mean?"

"_W-What are they talking about..?" _thought Eri, who seemed invisible during this spiral of events.

Izuku shrugged. Tomura spoke up.

"'We were sold a dream', huh." repeated Tomura. "Sounds poetic and lachrymose, don't you think? Who said it again?"

"And who is 'we'?" chimed in Tezobi, ignoring the pain of dots of blood streaming down her arms from her nails.

"Well, I don't know who said it to me Shigaraki, but it was a boy's voice and I don't know who 'we' is. I can only guess it's someone who knows me and has shared a similar rotten past as me." said Izuku, answering both questions at once. It was only when the other three comrades of his nodded in mute, that he realised he was still holding Eri.

"Oh.." he said, putting her down to stand. Her legs, still wobbly from being carried for such a long period of time and from the density and animosity the aura that the four much-bigger villains carried with them. When she dropped to her knees, she began to whimper and shake in fear like a bare body in the cold. She covered her eyes in fear, wanting to leave the bar and never look at anything or anyone again until she'd forgotten the feeling of terror on such a level. Being with Overhaul made her feel unsafe but in a way that she had gotten used to it. Being with the League? It was like getting a fresh scrape on your knee and your elbows that never healed and you could never reach, but it'd sting much more as time passed. It was so agonising, it was like she was feeling a minimized version of all their pain! She already had so much pain, why load on more…

"It's - o - kay, Eri. I won't hurt you, none of us will. What would we gain from hurting you, a child who is scared and knows nothing? Nothing, we'd gain nothing." relieved Izuku as his long hair fell onto his shoulder and he patted her head. Eri, stopped shaking and she felt a cold rush go through her body, but it didn't hurt.

"_He's grown a bit, that boy." _thought Kurogiri proudly as he shined glasses.

"Hehh. Look at you now, Handy. All protective, I hope you haven't softened up." Tomura teased, knowing that Izuku had always been fond of children since they'd met.

Ignoring Tomura, Izuku felt something cold and angry crawl up and down his bad and his arm. He looked at the said places and saw nothing, although it wasn't like Izuku would voluntarily let the thing touch him. He enhanced his senses and the unfriendly feeling grew and a strong aroma of metal became much more noticeable - when he enhanced his senses, those things grew tenfold.

As Eri slowly began to stand, Izuku turned his head towards Tezobi and saw that the metal he smelled was blood, blood dripping from the arm of an emotionless girl. The girl was staring at Eri. Izuku unsheathed his sword and accurately threw it so that it would hit just next to her half-red arms. Tezobi jolted and jumped backwards while Tomura sat up at lightning speed and Kurogiri almost broke the green glass he was shining. Eri squealed and ran towards Izuku's chair.

"You idiot!" Izuku shouted as he walked up to Tezobi and grabbed her arms and looked her in the eyes. "What are you doing? And why are you staring at Eri as you do it? What, What is it?"

"Me..?" Eri said in a whisper. "Is this.. my fault?"

Tezobi's eyes become blurry and unfocused as her pupils avoided Izuku's face, but that caused her eyes to blur more so she stared at the wooden floorboards beneath her and blinked away her sadness.

"I.." she said shakily.

"_Aah, fuck it."_ she thought.

"I was jealous! Alright, I've said it, I was jealous of Eri!" she said with a hollow giggle of humiliation. "I was desirous and angry. I don't like children, in fact I hate them…"

She unintentionally rambled on about her childhood and the roots of her hatred. The Father, the Sister, beatings, the neglect, the despair, the key, the deaths and the bridge of Happiness that she sought for. She still sought for that Bridge of Happiness. Once she had finished she then saw that she'd spilled out everything she wanted to say and everything she went through. Tezobi went pale in the face and overwhelmed with sorrow, thinking that she didn't deserve to speak ever again.

"_He'll think of me as weird and pathetic, the brat will. Kurogiri, Tomura, what do they think? And me blaming the little kid? Ah, I'm weak. I'm weak, I'm weak, I'm weak." _she thought. You could hear a pin drop in the room as they all took it in. Tomura and Kurogiri were shocked beyond description, but they already knew her history was bound to be gritty. Eri kept quiet and said 'sorry' to Tezobi in her head. Now it was just Izuku, great! As if she was receiving an injection, she squeezed her eyes shut and scrunched her face up to positioned herself westward. She waited for the worst possible outcome, like a slap or a lashing of words or mockery..but none of that happened. Just a small 'ah' emitted from Izuku as he easily slid the sword out of the hard wall to sheath it and stand more casually.

"I see."

"Wh-"

"That doesn't change my view on you. You got hurt and lost an important person. Makes you stronger, if anything." he said unfazed but truthfully. "It isn't like you can be good at everything or like everything, nor can you get everything you want, even if you crave it with all your heart, I'd know."

Tomura clapped his hands with a hearty laugh and Kurogiri nodded greatly. Izuku's big green eyes looked up at her obliviously, not knowing that what he had said was precious and wholly beautiful. But he saw Tezobi slowly raised her hand from its former position, so thinking he would get slapped he just accepted that he should've kept his mouth shut, he screwed up his lips ready for the hit. Instead, he was met with a pat on the head.

"Oi.." grumbled Izuku, who was still not used to skinship. Eri smiled and thought it was mildly cute seeing the villains evoke and compress such emotion like they did. She always thought Overhaul and his team were villains, so she lumped them all together as one large group of bad people. Never in her life did she expect to see them snap at each other, comfort each other and tease each other like normal people. Oh. Villains weren't seen as normal people? Why? Maybe because they'd thrown their humanity and civilization to the side and chosen the side of savagery, dehumanising them…? Not really true but Eri thought that up until now.

They saved her, didn't they.

With flushed cheeks and a grin, Tezobi ruffled his hair.

"So, the heroes got you all philosophical, huh, brat?" she joked.

"Shut up." he replied, slapping her hand away and going back to sit at the far end of the bar. That just left Eri standing nervously in the middle of the four of them.

"Hey, what are we going to do with it?" Tomura asked rudely. Kurogiri shook his head in dissatisfaction.

"She's a human being, not a thing, Shigarki." scolded Kurogiri.

"Yeah, that's the problem." he said, scratching his neck

"Here we fucking go.." mumbled Tezobi as she pinched the bridge fo he rnose. Eri was no longer scared of the villains that stood before her, well, not as scared as before. She was smart enough to understand that the weight of their past would never dissolve but they shared their troubles with each other, so the weight wasn't too bad to bear. She liked that.

"Kurogiri, I'm going to bed. Fix Eri up a room, please."

Kurogiri bowed and said, "Of course." as she was led elsewhere. In the bar now was just Tezobi and Tomura. Nobody said anything for a few seconds but Tomura spoke first before falling asleep.

"She'll grow, I don't know if this is the best place for a kid. I mean, look at how we turned out - Samurai shit included. I can kind of feel something about to purge on us all, don't you..?" he mumbled before dozing off.

"Idiot." dismissed Tezobi, though she did speculate something invisibly huge would happen and she didn't know what. It was probably just Izuku's dream making her worry, or the Idiot's sleepy, nonsensical words. All she had to cling to, all they had to cling to was hope.

I like how it just starts. Nothing before the sacred hour. It just starts.

**Coming to a close sooner than you think. - Takahiro. **


	46. Help :)

**Next Chapter is the end of this fan fiction. I'm kiiiinda experiencing some writer's block. Suggestions on how to end it properly would be much appreciated. - Takahiro Fuwaka.**

**ああああ、、、死にたい ****:,))) **


	47. Chapter 45

**Chapter forty-five - **_To fall from a Grace you have never confronted_

Days had passed since the League had acquired their new found power, Eri, and so they were all fired up discussing how they'd make use of her and when they'd do it and what would happen. All the while, Eri's fear was crumbling away. Things were ascending for them, the League, who had only misfortune by their side; this was truly the Rise of the Villains.

Though it was Izuku who finally initiated the switch of judgement, as he often did.

"How do you ever expect to make use of a person properly without knowing the extent of their quirk? Can you hear yourself, Shigaraki?" commented Izuku. Tomura clicked his tongue with a mean glare.

"Oi - watch yourself, you piece of shit. We're looking into her quirk in our own way. In fact, Overhaul told me quite a bit about her quirk." he stated.

"Oho?" Izuku taunted. "Like?"

"Well," Tomura scratched his neck, his red orbs looked up. "It's nothing specific, nothing definite. 'Rewind' he said it was called. It basically causes a person's body to revert to a previous state. It has no boundaries and she can't yet control it. Essentially, she can cause humans to 'de-evolutionise'. We could go back to monkeys, or babies even. He came to the conclusion that she could also rearrange DNA." he sighed and looked at the quiet girl. "She's...a little incredible. Unbelievable. I can see why Overhaul wanted her so badly to change our reality."

"A world without quirks, huh?" Tezobi whispered in response.

"So we know that much, and I agree she's special." said Izuku. "However, we cannot afford to go back to being babies or primates and being erased from existence-"

"...I'm sorry.." uttered Eri as she gripped at the old large jumper that loosely clung to her body. Kurogiri looked at her in pity. Izuku glanced at her too with blank eyes, unsure of what to make of her apology, hence he resumed to his declaration. Tezobi, however, felt her heart thump louder in her chest then travel up to her throat because of an abrupt flashback. It reminded her of when she wore such that large jumper in the living room - such a huge jumper, it fit like a dress!

"_Ruji…" _she thought.

"- it would be counterproductive for that to be the case. So, to hone a power that rewinds time and existence as we know it! That's the quest."

"And how do you propose we do that, Midoriya?" questioned Kurogiri leaning on a desk.

"Well, you can't. It's all about control in this case. I'm guessing that depending on what her quirk does, her horn is affected." Izuku then held his chin with the index finger and thumb as he looked to the invisible nothing that hung above the air, muttering. Just as he had done in his early days. "Perhaps it gets smaller and shorter when inactive, maybe it emits soundwaves or some kind of waste energy when in use? Could it grow longer when more powerful? Does the quirk change over time? The horn could change colour when in use or in opposition, when inactive. Oh - but then it could be used offensively..."

The room's once productive atmosphere had been overruled by the muttering of Izuku's ideas and theories but it wasn't suffocating. Everyone gawked at the long-haired boy in action, though in a positive light.

"_So he hasn't changed so much after all, that boy." _the three other villains thought inwardly. They all reminisced about one of Izuku's first missions where he had to go to the UA Sports' Festival and spy on the students. Tezobi had told Kurogiri and Tomura about when Izuku had passionslatey gone about his own way of thinking and writing and jotting down what he believed was significant. Tezobi also remembered hearing 'Kacchan' for the first time too. She thought it was magnificat, that Izuku ought to have that as quirk in itself! Alas, gold is not for the masses and thus they starve in pride and wit.

"Brat!" Tezobi shouted, which snapped Izuku out of his trance. "Just ask her. She's right there and she ain't dumb, I'm sure."

"Ah, right." he said plainly. He looked at Eri deadpan, startling her and everyone else there as he was often warmer with her. "Does your horn affect your quirk?"

"U-Uhm! Uh…" she fumbled shakily. "Well, not really. It's kinda the other way around; my quirk affects my horn. I don't know much about it since I just hurt everyone around me, but erm, it g-glows when I use it."

"So that's the case. I see. So, nothing of importance. Well, I know now what I must do."

"What _we_ must do." repeated Tomura. "Remember who your leader is, Samurai-shit."

Izuku said nothing and sat with them to talk about ways to train Eri's power. But it was as this was happening, something extraordinary developed. Izuku's expression remained deadpan and emotionless to a fault so nobody noticed anything drastic. But there was an unexpected cold, distant feeling pounding in his heart. It was a roaring, heavy feeling that ate at him. Like a block of ice growing, no - _mutating_ into a shard with a most poisonous point and a most frosty feel. As his chest ached, it was weird. It was really quite peculiar because as his pain grew, as his agony manifested, it all felt so _right_. It was like it all made sense - it was all coming together! It was sad and fast and unexpected and painful and it felt so right and it really did eat at him now and it messed with him but nobody saw and it stabbed him in the back, oh the resolve-

It was worth dying for!

His eyes grew and grew. They were blacker than any evil a meer _villain_ could cause, it become more black than green. The once friendly, pure and innocent green eyes that seemed to stand like large green Oak trees - Oak trees for the future! Oak trees of the sun! Oak trees for the heroes and for justice! They would rule over the black of the eye, the black being his insecurities and his depressive states but also being the revenge that wanted so badly to be let out to rule over him. Well - not so much revenge. More like exhaustion. An exhaustion of living, perhaps revenge for being put onto the cruel world where nobody favoured him. But that was actively changing wasn't it? He had people there for him.

Didn't he?

Though his heart ached in pure agony and the black in his eyes ruled over the green and that feeling of doom washed over him - it felt alright. It was meant to be. Like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

"...So is that okay, Midoriya? What's your take on it? Eri doesn't mind it."

"_Huh...who said that..?"_ Izuku thought looking up like a corpse.

"Pardon me. Repeat it, if you could."

Immediately, everyone's eyes looked at Izuku in concern and question. The sluggish-robotic way in which he spoke reminded them of a darker time. A time on the tip of their tongue, a time that they couldn't put their finger on. But a time they knew for sure was much more different from the Izuku of that present moment.

Tezobi was the first to gasp.

"Well, what? Is what okay? What's my take on what?" he repeated soullessly.

"Your eyes, for heavens' sake!"

"Heaven.." he said thinking of his parents. "Oh..". That image of his mother and father worsened his condition. The feeling of resolve of purpose, that pleasurable feeling to resolve… it got stronger than ever. Izuku dug his nails into his Yukata.

"_What's going on with him. I've never seen him look like that before. Not even when he first came to us. What kind of dark expression…"_ Kurogiri trailed off in thought. Eri was concerned, so she stepped in.

"M-Mr Midorya..you..!"

It was once Izuku had looked up that Eri's heart collapsed. Tezobi gathered images and relieved moments from when he got back from Hades. His expressions, his voice, his hands and his sword. But right now it was worse. Much worse. Tomura sat up and narrowed his eyes at the dismal that laid peacefully in Izuku's mundane, lifeless eyes.

"Must I re_peat_ myself a third time…" Izuku's voice incited a pang of genuine fear within the rest of the villains.

"_My, my...I...This is too much. I'm tired, I want to go home.." _Izuku thought as he looked at his hand, before staring northward again, avoiding eye contact with everyone. It was as he placed his hands on the couch for support to get up, Eri and Tomura flinched. Izuku saw this but his brain paid it no mind, though that malicious block of ice hurt his heart even more and his eyes were still.

An image of the angels fighting the ominous, evil black that laughed at them in pompous malice and destruction stained his mind. Make believe.

"_What a curse."_ he thought. Izuku's aura became aloof as he stood up, with his hair flowing gently over his body and sword.

"Do what you think is necessary for Eri. I know within myself that whatever you see fit must work, right?" Izuku then walked towards the door, the sound of his geta hitting the wooden floor echoed throughout the entire room. The sound touched everything and everyone.

"_Should I stop him?" _thought Tezobi biting her inner lip. _"N-No. He wouldn't do something so...so.."_

"Fortune does favour the bold after all." Izuku said before finally stepping out.

"My apologies, Mister. Oh and you too, Miss. I do wonder if you two were heroes…really." said Tragedy as he stepped over the bodies of the two heroes who guarded the premises of UA and had been slaughtered by him. "Ah, there's that dog-like hero. He's really charging towards me, isn't he? Well if it's a game you want…!" Tragedy grinned sadistically and tilted his head.

"...it's a game you'll not get." he finished and he looked at the dog-like hero and killed him by cutting off his supply of oxygen. He grabbed what seemed like a card from the body of the Miss' whom he killed earlier and continued to walk across to the school gates. As he walked he gave a small smile and his brown eyes glazed over in remembrance.

"Ah, this does bring back memories. Shame I didn't bring matches with me." he said to himself quietly with a mild chuckle. He remembered how he burned down his own orphanage with that key. _8/4f0, _did it say? Well, it didn't matter, that key surely couldn't unlock all the doors in the world and it wouldn't give him any kind of thrill. Because this was different. Matches are cheaper now and he isn't a kid.

Finally reaching the school, he wondered what he'd do. Would he just storm in, guns blazing and all? Should he form a plan of some sort? Perhaps calling in reinforcements would be beneficial. Ah, but his vision would start to blur if he killed too many people at once, that was the drawback. Cranking up the theatrics wouldn't hurt, would it now. Though, Tragedy wasn't into that kind of stuff - no go.

For what reason does he kill?

"Maybe it'll be fun, raiding heaven..what'll I get from killing a bunch o' kids, I do wonder."

But it was certain. There was no way around it; the students would die...all according to Make Believe. But if the holder of Make Believe were to pass, I say, what'd happen?

Running through the rain that spat at him and cared not for his feelings and purpose, Izuku sped passed people with his resolve getting stronger and more dominant. He remembered none of their names but he thought of how they'd react to the boy drenched in black being gone in a few seconds.

"_I want to go home."_ his head kept repeating as he ran with his resolve. _"Home, home, home. This is my fate. This has been my fate from the start. Was I hopeless from the beginning?"_

He finally reached the rooftop of the building where he had been denied his chance of becoming a hero by the Pinnacle of Hope - All Might. It was once he reached the rooftop, the feeling of resolve had reached its peak as if to say _'you know what must be done, finish it off."_

All that had happened, all who he'd met. Where were they right now? Alive, dead, breathing or not, what were they doing? Were they well? Izuku knew that he shouldn't feign concern but what else was there to do at such a time? The resolve, the patience, the ice: the black had now consumed the green.

At the highest of high, would he be at absolute ecstasy? Where he'd been his happiness, that would surely take over him once he arrived, wouldn't it. Cloud 9.

"That sky. It's always there, watching over everything. It's so constant, it doesn't change." Izuku looked to his left side, seeing mirages of Mina and All Might and the heroes, and then Tezobi along with the Villains. But nobody was really there, it wall all _pretend_. "But that's not a bad thing, is it. If something's always there, maybe I should always believe what it does and says. Maybe I should enthrall myself to it. Because it seems trustworthy. That's okay, isn't it? I'm not wrong, am I?"

The angels, the ominous black, the resolve.

For the last time, Izuku smiled. He smiled so happily, so sadly; it was such a smile. He gave a delightfully sweet smile that seemed to contrast the scene in which he stood in but he was content. It was so divine, was this his raison d'etre? He ran his fingers through his hair as the water poured down his cheeks freely. Izuku turned his back on the city. He faced the other way so the heel of his foot stood on the edge of the building and with black eyes now, he unsheathed his sword and the sword drank the wine of the grey angel. The grey angel descended.

This is happiness; tastefully bitter but memorable nonetheless. The deities, they shirek, they cry.


End file.
